KATE WASHINGTON MP

Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington MP, has welcomed today’s announcement that Tea Gardens Police Station will be upgraded, and is calling on the Government to commit to more police for the local area. The announcement, which included no details around timing or design, follows a significant community rally in November last year, where Ms Washington joined hundreds of local residents to demand a fairer share under the Government’s police reengineering process. The commu

The Berejiklian Government has failed to deliver 78 promised group homes to re-house residents of the Stockton, Tomaree and Kanangra centres in the Hunter. Families and residents, who have already been living with the stress and uncertainty surrounding the closure of the services, now fear for the future. In 2015, the Government called for a private provider to build new group homes on 78 sites, mainly across the Hunter, to cater for residents currently in the three large res

NSW Labor can reveal the Berejiklian Government splashed almost $75 million on external consultants, lawyers and investment bankers to draw up the port rort documents which purposefully damage the growth of Newcastle Port. It follows an analysis of Crown Entity Financial Statements by the NSW Opposition. Under the rort, Newcastle Port is forced to pay a hefty penalty to its competitor if it handles more than 30,000 shipping containers per year. The penalty is specifically des

Raymond Terrace came alive last weekend at the Step Back into King Street Heritage Festival. In its fourth year, it was bigger and better than ever, with many of us dressed up in vintage clothing in celebration of what was once the main street of Raymond Terrace. Congratulations go to the irrepressible organiser, Kaye Newtown, and her hardworking team including Peter Robinson, Adam Nicholas, Liz Stephens, Beryl and Peter Boyles, Laura Taylor and Angel Nicholas. As always, the

I am surprised that we have not heard more from this Government about the Turnbull Government's recent decision to cut $7 million from our State's coffers without warning.The national partnership was created to ensure that there was consistency of quality in the provision of early childhood education and care services across the country. In a sneaky move, the Federal education Minister Simon Birmingham announced on the morning of the budget that his Government would not be re

I pay tribute to the organisers, sponsors and supporters of the fantastic Tilligerry Motorama. Ian and Elaine Jones have been spearheading this event since 2013, alongside their Tilligerry Auto Club members. This year's event saw about 6,000 people come through the gates to see the 400‑plus cars and bikes on display, as well as local stallholders. Every time I looked up from my mobile office, there were more and more people milling around with big smiles on their faces. This

Today is Wear Orange Wednesday in support of the thousands of incredible State Emergency Service [SES] volunteers across New South Wales upon whom we all rely in times of disaster and emergency. My electorate of Port Stephens not only is a particularly stunning part of the State but also is an area particularly prone to wild weather. So the hardworking and dedicated SES volunteers in both the Port Stephens unit based in Raymond Terrace and the Tomaree unit based in Corlette d

Having previously campaigned against the NSW Government’s ‘mistaken’ sale of the Mambo Wetlands, Port Stephens Council is at risk of repeating history by planning to sell off public land used by local koalas to reach the Salamander Bay shoreline. On Tuesday, Councillors will vote on whether Port Stephens Council should sell vacant land at 109 Foreshore Drive Salamander Bay, directly across the road from the Mambo Wetlands. Local residents report that the block of land, which

Minister for the Environment, Gabrielle Upton, has shown her ineptitude and incompetence in Question Time on Thursday after being asked about a 17 kilometre illegal canal discovered on a private property near Tea Gardens in 2017. In her response, Minister Upton indicated she was completely unaware of the canal, but insisted she was happy to meet with the Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington, to hear about the issue. This admission is astonishing given her own agency, the

The Riding for the Disabled Association at Raymond Terrace enables young people with a disability to experience the joy of horseriding. When I visited last week it was obvious to me that the experience is not only about riding a horse but also about the confidence that comes with it, the physical and emotional wellbeing, and the social benefit of a regular shared experience with friends. The service started in 1979 and, despite many challenges, the volunteers have developed t