The state’s spotlight will be on Maitland today as NSW cabinet ministers come to town for the first regional community cabinet of the year.
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Maitland MP Robyn Parker said while ministers often took the opportunity to make announcements during community cabinet visits the event was more about giving residents the chance to get face to face with decision makers and ask questions.
Mrs Parker said registration for today’s community cabinet was the largest the state government had received.
“Community cabinets are not necessarily visits where electorates get showered with money,” she said. “But hopefully there will be some announcements that people in Maitland will be able to get excited about.”
Community cabinets have historically brought benefits for the community in some shape or form, with ministers taking the opportunity to announce funding for projects in an area while they are there on the ground.
The Mercury understands Premier Barry O’Farrell will make a significant funding announcement for a Maitland project when he arrives in the region this morning.
The state government held community cabinets in Nowra, Kareela, Broken Hill, Armidale, Dubbo, Penrith, Taree and Tumbi Umbi last year.
The Taree community received $9.8 million in funding for home care organisation Dundaloo Support Services to build five new group homes for disabled people when a community cabinet meeting was held there last May.
Mayor Peter Blackmore said warm conditions during Maitland’s last community cabinet, in 2008, led to then Premier Morris Iemma providing $200,000 in funding to aircondition the town hall.
“It was the hottest day of the year and I just happened to say it publically to Mr Iemma that we needed airconditioning,” Cr Blackmore said.
“When I said that he just turned and said ‘done’. It’s one of the
greatest opportunities a community can have to have every minister in the city. It doesn’t happen often enough.”
The Mercury recently identified six areas of interest for the community cabinet, including a trendy mall precinct, museum, netball club house, new cycle ways, a city bypass and hospice.
Maitland City Council, along with Cessnock Council, will meet with Roads Minister Duncan Gay to discuss a possible link from Mount Vincent Road and Cessnock Road to the soon-to-open Hunter Expressway.
Maitland Council is also expected to raise the issue of new fencing needed on Les Darcy Drive.