Minns government accused of neglecting Walgett community
NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders has attacked the NSW Labor government, for neglecting the Walgett pool refurbishment.
Mr Saunders said that the Walgett community would be left sweltering and vulnerable this summer, with work yet to commence on a project to provide emergency repairs to the town’s pool.
At budget estimates in NSW parliament last week, a senior official from the Department of Regional NSW confirmed the government knew the scope of work required to fix the pool, and the costs associated with the repairs in August, but did not make its funding announcement until October 5.
Mr Saunders said that the comments were at odds with Minister for Western NSW Tara Moriarty who was asked about the timing of the funding announcement in parliament on October 11, to which she replied “…in the past week or so it has become clear what work needs to be done in preparation for the summer, and that work is getting underway”.
It was also confirmed during the hearing that the first time the Department of Regional NSW became aware of the seriousness of the leakage and filtration problem was when Walgett Shire Council passed a motion to decommission the pool at its July meeting.
According to Mr Saunders, the revelation also contradicts Ms Moriarty’s claim that the issue was known to the previous government.
Read more in the printed edition of The Western Herald.
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