KATE WASHINGTON MP

A NSW Parliamentary Inquiry has today released a report acknowledging the dire state of disability support services in New South Wales under the current State and Federal Liberal governments. The report found that despite NSW being the first state to complete the rollout of the NDIS, ‘its potential has not been realised for many individuals in NSW to date.’ The Committee has made 23 recommendations to improve access and enhance the strength of disability services across NSW.

The students and parents of Salt Ash Public School have had a small but significant win in their ongoing battle with Defence over the school’s water bill. On Wednesday the Department of Education agreed to reimburse the school for the shock $6,000 water bill the school received, and confirmed that the water bill will be paid centrally from 2019 onwards. Following the public becoming aware of the PFAS contamination, Defence connected affected properties to town water, includin

Kate Washington MP today welcomed Shadow Minister for Energy, Adam Searle, to Port Stephens to announce NSW Labor’s policy to re-regulate electricity prices and reduce power bills for local households and small businesses. Mr Searle and Ms Washington met with Reverend Adam Cook from Food Way Medowie, a local charity providing hundreds of emergency food packages to Port Stephens families every week because of the rising cost of living and soaring electricity prices. NSW Labor’

The Williamtown PFAS contamination’s latest mess is the playtime for students at Salt Ash Public School. Port Stephens MP Kate Washington has today met with parents of the school and heard their concerns about the ongoing impact of Defence’s inaction since the contamination was revealed. Following the public becoming aware of the contamination, Defence was pushed to connect affected properties to town water, including Salt Ash Public School. While Defence is currently paying

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington has encouraged local residents to make their voices heard on a proposed new sand mine in Bobs Farm, at the gateway to beautiful Port Stephens. Bobs Farm residents have opposed the proposal since it was first raised in 2014, and continue to have numerous concerns about the impact of the proposed mine, including the threat it poses to the neighbouring Bobs Farm Public School. As a small country school, Bobs Farm Public School is central to the c

Shadow Minister for Education, Jihad Dib, has joined with Port Stephens MP, Kate Washington, to launch a petition calling for the Berejiklian Government to build a public high school in Medowie. Families in Medowie have been waiting for a public high school for decades. Many local mums and dads now campaigning for the school have clear memories of their own parents advocating for a public high school built in Medowie. NSW Labor committed to build the high school in both the 2

Port Stephens Park Residents Association has joined Port Stephens MP Kate Washington to welcome NSW Labor’s commitment to establish an Ombudsman service for retirement villages and residential land lease parks. Across NSW, there are almost 90,000 people living in retirement villages and land lease communities (residential parks), including a significant number in Port Stephens. Labor’s commitment for the creation of an Ombudsman to oversee these communities exceeds the Bereji

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington has slammed the latest thought bubble from Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton which allocates $20 million to buy privately owned koala habitat, but excludes the buy-back of the Mambo Wetlands. A map released today along with the expression of interest details identifies priority areas for purchase in Port Stephens, but excludes Salamander Bay where the Government sold 6 hectares of koala habitat to a property developer in 2016. Recent docume

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington has presented a NSW State Flag to members of the Tea Gardens RSL Sub-Branch to fly on their newly installed flag poles in Anzac Park. The flag was accepted by Sub-Branch members Raymond Prigg and Paul Colver, who will use the flag in the upcoming Remembrance Day ceremony. Tea Gardens RSL will be a host for an expanded Remembrance Day ceremony as the sub-branch is joined by members from surrounding Port Stephens sub-branches. The Remembrance Da

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington was shocked to learn of details presented to the community last night about the proposed Bobs Farm sand mine which has been before the Department of Planning and Environment since 2014. Approximately 40 local residents attended the ‘community consultation meeting’ held at Bobs Farm Community Hall and hosted by Bob Lander from Tattersall Lander. Mr Lander informed the attendees that the meeting was a requirement of the Department of Planning an