James Harker-Mortlock’s 22 point policy platform:
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1. The long awaited duplication of the Barton Highway. This project has fallen into a black hole between the State and the Federal Governments. Apart from the welcome recent work on the Gounyan Curves and the Capricorn Bend widening and straightening, nothing significant has been done on this project for some years.
2. A feasibility study for the construction of a rail link connecting Canberra, Hall, Murrumbateman, Yass and Yass Junction, with local services running between those points and Bowning, Binalong, Galong, Harden and Murrumburrah (the last five using the Main Southern Line), then north using a restored Blayney-Demondrille line (itself linking from Murrumburrah-Harden through to Blayney via Young and Cowra with a spur to Grenfell). I would also advocate the re-opening of the Boorowa Line. Such a connection of towns would provide the basis for the careful, planned and decentralised expansion of Canberra and would create a vibrant southern tablelands and central western growth zone. Workers would be able to travel readily to larger population centres, such as Canberra, Goulburn and Yass in the south, or Cowra, Orange and Bathurst in the north, and would be encouraged to remain living in the district. Our youth could travel to Canberra without the risk of vehicle accidents. Heavy freight would be taken off the roads. Rail would come to provide a more affordable, more convenient and safer option. Better for the community, better for individuals, better for families, better for business and better for the environment.
3. Development of Goulburn as a freight and rail hub.
4. Completion of the Maldon-Dombarton rail line.
5. I would fight for Federal funding for the rail links mentioned above and I would seek to obtain Federal funding for the implementation of bus services to be running for the period during which construction of the any proposed passenger railway connections took place. I see it as necessary for the Federal government to become involved in such projects as they need to be part of a national approach to encouraging decentralisation and building transport infrastructure.
6. The Federal Government could become a source of job creation in the region through the re-location of government offices from Canberra to towns in the region. This would create not only employment but also would justify the investment in transport and energy infrastructure in the region.
7. The introduction of a formalised planning process connecting directly the provision of infrastructure and services in Canberra with the southern tablelands and central western growth zone. Such a planning process would encompass all areas of government activity currently either operating in an uncoordinated fashion or not provided at all, such as health services, transport services, services for the elderly, rural education, etc. The existence of an expanding and dynamic growth zone would provide the income generator able to fund such expansion. I believe that the German process of decentralised development should be looked at as a potential model for use here. This would include the involvement of the Cross-Border Commissioner recently appointed by the Coalition Government in New South Wales who could liaise with the ACT Government in regard to the development of a coordinated strategy.
8. Investigation into the feasibility of locating new energy technologies in the region, such as the development of a concentrated solar thermal plant, perhaps between Hall and Murrumbateman, in close consultation with local land owners and communities.
9. Opposition to the location of the second Sydney airport at Wilton but support for the location of a major airport near Canberra to become a major airport hub servicing both Canberra and the region and with direct international air connections, linked to Sydney and Melbourne by high speed rail links.
10. Federal funding for the completion of a number of sealed roads either within or connecting to the electorate in order to facilitate tourism and commerce. These include: (a) Main Road 92 completion – connecting Tarago to Nerriga and Nowra (b) Rye Park to Dalton Road – providing an alternative route to the Hume Highway at Gunning from Boorowa (c) Tarago and Braidwood Roads to improve safety on these roads used often as an alternative route in the ski season (d) Laggan to Taralga Road (Main Road 248 East) – providing a link cross country to Crookwell. Others to be identified.
11. Federal funding for the completion of a number of water resource related projects within the electorate such as Yass, Gunning, Dalton and Crookwell.
12. Additional funding for Landcare Australia, Greening Australia and other groups whose goal is the development of sustainable farming practices and the remediation of land.
13. Fighting for the restoration of Land & Water Australia – destroyed by the Rudd-Gillard Government in May 2009.
14. Introduction of a scheme of ‘custodian funding’ to provide compensation to land owners who voluntarily set aside areas of land for conservation purposes.
15. Fighting for the maintenance of strategic agricultural lands.
16. Opposition to unrestrained foreign ownership of valuable agricultural and resource rich areas.
17. Support for a requirement that major grocery chains purchase a minimum amount of their grocery inputs from Australian producers. This has the double benefit of providing certainty for Australian producers and guaranteeing Australia’s food security.
18. Support for the transfer of all biosecurity control and funding of biosecurity programmes to the Federal Government. This would remove the need for the various rating systems in the States which tax individual rural landowners. Currently, rural landowners end-up subsidising biosecurity control for the rest of the community. This is an unfair burden upon rural landowners.
19. Support for urgent reform of the Australian taxation system with a focus upon rewarding individual effort, decreasing dependency upon the state and simplification.
20. Improved aged and disability services to assist those most in need of our help.
21. Improved educational and employment services in rural areas in order to encourage our youth to remain in the bush rather than to disappear into the cities.
22. Support for maintenance of the living away from home allowance for rural students studying in cities and regional centres.