POLICY POSITIONS:

• In the past couple of years Orange has received far less government funding than the Bathurst and Dubbo electorates. How do you propose to redress that imbalance and, if elected, what would you spend the money on? Keep Sydney Open has its main focus on community, we want each and every community in the state of NSW to have access to the same opportunities and possibilities. Major funding changes to the area are proposed for water sustainability, local business investment, greater access for public transport and significant boosts to the regions arts and culture sector, most noticeably FOOD and Wine week.
  

• The new XPTs are in the pipeline, but there have been no meaningful commitments on track upgrades to straighten the line between Orange and Bathurst. Meanwhile, the push to extend the Bathurst Bullet train to Orange and build servicing facilities for the train here is yet to yield results. If elected, what will you do about these much-needed service upgrades? One of our party’s major policies for this upcoming election is public transport, we want evidence-based and community driven solutions. The Bathurst Bullet has had huge success in creating extra transport options and we would be incredibly silly not to include this as part of our plan. In regards to the straightening of the track, Keep Sydney Open is committed to ensuring no options are left off the table, we need to ensure economically this would not impact surrounding communities while also generating a return greater than the cost of the project.
  

If the solution was as simple as increasing police numbers, we would have won the war 50 years ago. The drug manufacturers and dealers are always two steps ahead of our law enforcement, as a result we need to focus on real solutions.

• The Northern Distributor Road is taking the lion's share of Orange's freight traffic now. If elected, will you fight to make the Northern Distributor Road a regional road to shore up its maintenance funding, and if not, what will you do to ensure Orange City Council receives help to maintain it? The Northern Distributor Road is an incredibly vital part to ensure noisy truck and freight traffic is left off of our suburban streets. The building of this road should have always been in the state government’s responsibility and priority. Plans for increased tourism in our regional centres requires us to ensure we have the capacity to cater for not only increased visitors in the town, but ensuring the diverting roads for freight traffic have the funding and also the capacity to take unnecessary traffic off the town centre.
  

• If elected, what measures would you support to tackle to ice and illegal drug issues in Orange? Is the solution as simple as increasing the number of police in the city? Unfortunately the drug problem is incredibly complex, our governments have been fighting the war on drugs for the better part for of the last 50 years with almost little to no success. Drugs are more accessible than ever and are putting lives at serious risk. If the solution was as simple as increasing police numbers, we would have won the war 50 years ago. The drug manufacturers and dealers are always two steps ahead of our law enforcement, as a result we need to focus on real solutions, finding the reason why people in our community feel the need to engage in this behaviour, fund heavy support programs to prevent people having a need to involve themselves in these behaviours to begin with while also focusing heavily on rehabilitation and prevention of relapse. Let me be clear that there is no concession under Keep Sydney Open for the people dealing and manufacturing these substances. 
  

• Do you support the proposed Mount Canobolas mountain bike trail centre? If so, and if elected, how will you help Orange get the required funding to make the project a reality? Mount Canobolas is one of Oranges major drawcards for its tourism. It defines and shapes the town and gives us a geographical landmark to pull people too. Any proposal for the purpose of culture, recreation and arts is a part of our policy. Keep Sydney Open is committed to setting aside unique funding boosts for local culture and tourism. 
  

• If elected, will you support replacing the palliative care 12-month trial with a full-time facility, and with more than the current four beds? Keep Sydney Open will review the results of the trial. We rely on successful outcomes in order to create policy as this is our major focus. Granted, if the trial is successful, a full-time facility is very much a possibility. 
  

• What are the major issues facing the villages and small communities in the Orange electorate, and if elected, what steps would you take to improve them? The number one issue is water first and foremost we need to ensure every single one of our towns and communities have access to water. Secondly is our culture, Orange is such a culture-rich electorate, our small towns and villages each with their own nuances, history, arts and offerings make the Central West an amazing place to visit. Keep Sydney Open is committed to evidence driven solutions for water and large boosts for regional areas arts and culture.
  

Poll conducted by polldaddy

• If elected, what measures would you introduce to decrease the up to six-week-long waiting lists for people seeking support for mental health issues in Orange? Mental health is an incredibly important facet in keeping our community happy and healthy. As part of our plans to end government preferential treatment we want to see more funding allocated to regional areas, not just the city. We need to engage with the community to see where these services are needed, how they are being accessed and where we can implement further treatment funding to make sure people in remote areas can access the same treatments in as quick a manner as those in the town centres. 
  

• The crippling effects of the drought continue to be felt in the Orange electorate. Assuming you are elected and the drought continues, what relief measures would you fight for in the first weeks and months of your term? The major cause for concern in NSW in regards to our drought situation is brought on by the huge mismanagement of incumbent governments. Keep Sydney Open is committed to smashing the government corruption that has allowed foreign multinationals to purchase huge water licences and starve our local farmers and communities. If elected, Keep Sydney Open will immediately cease the issuing of these absurd licences and force supply for communities and farmers first. We are sick of seeing our own people starved because of political donations and backroom deals.
  

We haven’t had any wage growth for the better part of a decade, isn’t it time someone put the people first instead of the wealthy few and their absurd addiction to profit margins?

• There is a possibility the next state Parliament will have a conscience vote on decriminalising abortion in NSW. Where do you stand on this issue? Keep Sydney Open supports the right for any person to seek the medical treatment they require. Overwhelming evidence already shows the detrimental effect having a lack of access to these services has not only economically on people, but also on their mental health and on public services and programs. 
  

• Orange has an enormous amount of early education-aged children. If elected, what would you do to help families tackle the growing cost of day care? Again, Keep Sydney Open stands for evidence-based, community consult policy solutions. I absolutely agree the cost of daycare has skyrocketed, in fact, the corrupt mismanagement of our government has allowed the cost of living to soar in all aspects, not just daycare. Our commitment actually expands beyond just this, not only do we want to make daycare more affordable but also rent, clothing, electricity, gas, water, schooling, health services and transport. We haven’t had any wage growth for the better part of a decade, isn’t it time someone put the people first instead of the wealthy few and their absurd addiction to profit margins? 
  

• If elected, would you be willing to speak and vote against your party's policies and platforms if if was clear that the majority of the Orange electorate's constituents held a contrary belief? This is probably the most fantastic thing about being a part of Keep Sydney Open. Yes - Keep Sydney Open is proud to be about community. Community, evidence and debate. What we implement is always based on both evidence-based proposals with proven track records as well as community consultation. If my community has their belief for something while simultaneously showing this is an evidence-based policy, it is inherently already in our own policy to fight for this agenda.

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