Federal Politics

Former Port Macquarie State MP Rob Oakeshott garnered 75% of the vote in Lyne in the September 2008 by-election.

Ending 60 years of National/Country Party dominance, Oakeshott pulled our electorate into a new era, thanks to a successfull campaign ably managed by his long-time political staffer Peter Besseling, who is the heir apparent for Rob's old seat in the upcoming state elections.

In the 2007 election which saw Labor returned to Government, there was a 5.7% overall swing against the Nationals in our federal seat of Lyne.

However, sleepy Johns River bucked the trend and showed a 7% swing to the Nationals and candidate Mark Vaile.  The Green's Susie Russell similarly saw a 7.8% swing going to them, gaining 9.6% of the 246 votes at Johns River.

Highlights

• Johns River's 229 Voters (formal) included 10 votes for the Christian Democrats, and Port Macquarie Councillor Jamie Harrison managed a whopping 3 votes.

• The Nationals were favoured by 12% more in Johns River than in the rest of the Lyne electorate.

JR in State Parliament

Mr. Robert Oakeshott, the then-MP for Port Macquarie, spoke about the JRCPA in a Private Member's Statement in  state Parliament.

Below is a transcript of the speech

From Page: 5885

Mr ROBERT OAKESHOTT (Port Macquarie) [10.57 a.m.]:

"The Johns River Community Progress Association is a local community organisation that is a model on the mid North Coast for projects that are driven from the ground up.

"The association not only faces the substantial challenges posed by serving a community split by the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line, but also must deal with the implications for the community of the Pacific Highway upgrade and a bypass that added to its difficulties.

"I have been extremely impressed by the association's work in identifying the issues before it. Rather than expecting the local council, the State Government or the Federal Government to come up with solutions to the issues at Johns River, it has arrived at some local solutions. It has presented what is now a substantial package to all three levels of government, which makes it very easy to try to assist the Johns River village and community.

"The decision by the Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] to bypass the Johns River village as part of the Pacific Highway upgrade creates a need for a response as to how the village will present itself after the bypass is opened. Consideration will also need to be given to the development and the ongoing function of the Johns River village.

"The village at Johns River is a focus to the residents in both the village itself and the rural hinterland along Stewarts River. It is also the first port of entry into the greater Taree local government area for people travelling from the north. The village's key functions as a rural service area, a highway service village, and a welcome point to the local government area must be maintained after the bypass is built. To the credit of the Greater Taree City Council, it established a section 355 committee to project manage the preparation of a draft plan for the Johns River village post bypass.

"The inquiry is examining appropriate changes to road infrastructure, public parking and amenities, future land use and the village amenity in light of changes generated by relocation of the highway. Council wishes the village to function as a highway service village and the entry to the local government area.

Already the progress association has formed a very strong partnership with the local government authority and it is now, from the documents that have been produced, seeking support from other agencies, such as the various State government agencies involved.

"The Johns River village is substantially between the current alignment of the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway. A number of houses are located on the western side of the highway, north of Stewarts River Road, and a number of small-scale rural properties are dotted along Hannam Vale Road to the west. The Johns River State Forest lies to the east of the North Coast rail line and a proactive agricultural landscape can be found to the west along the Stewarts River valley.

"The village has a number of different facilities, including a general store, a tavern and a disused service station. It also has a public hall located in an adjacent sportsground. Markets are held at the hall and sportsground on a regular basis. A public school is located in the southern part of the village, with an estimated population of 20 children from kindergarten to Year 6.

"A hard rock quarry, operated by Boral, is located just north of the village and Stewarts River. A number of residential site lots owned by the Crown are located to the south of existing residences in the village. The work that the progress association is doing is giving the area huge potential. It has done a great deal of difficult planning work and has brought together the RTA, the Department of Lands and the council to formulate a substantial plan.

"I will be presenting that plan to the relevant State Ministers I hope that they can get behind the good work that has been done by the Johns River Community Progress Association. Any members of Parliament who have local communities that are struggling with how to define their future and how to develop a bottom-up plan that engages local government and the State Government should go to the website of the Johns River Community Progress Association and talk to the individuals involved in the progress association.

What they have achieved is a model of community development work on the ground and I hope they have all the success they deserve. [Time expired.]

Question—That private members' statements be noted—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Mr. Oakeshott may be contacted on (02) 6584 0977 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (02) 6584 0977      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or Fax (02) 6584 0978