Since the Nationals and Liberals won government in 2011, the Dubbo electorate has been the recipient of unprecedented levels of funding, and if voters elect to give us a third term of government come March, I can see that continuing.

Last week was a special one on so many fronts, with a series of wonderful announcements. It started in Narromine, where Deputy Premier John Barilaro joined me to announce almost $2.5 million to facilitate upgrades to the town’s wetlands precinct. This area, which has the potential to be something very special, has been looked after for many years by the hard-working volunteers from the town’s Rotary club.

Last Wednesday’s funding announcement will help council fast-track the work they want to do and will also help with the establishment of Narromine Parkrun, which will be based at the location.

From the Wetlands we came back to Dubbo, where Deputy Premier Barilaro announced that a re-elected government would allocate $30 million to establish a carpark comprising an additional 350 spaces at Dubbo Hospital.

This is a terrific win for the community, and anyone who feels the need to be negative cannot truly say they have the best interests of Dubbo and the wider region at heart. I’ve read with interest some of the comments in relation to this project, and here are some cold, hard facts.

The $30 million will be provided in the event of the Nationals and Liberals forming government. None of the other candidates have made any pledges in relation to this, so it is hard to know what their plans are, or if they even have any.

Also, the carparking spaces will be free. The government has spent eight years dragging this state out of a financial black hole left by the previous Labor government, but through good fiscal management we are in a position now where we can provide this funding and ensure the spots are free.

After the hospital we trekked to Dubbo Golf Club, where we announced $1.3 million in funding for the club to facilitate infrastructure works. Primarily, this will help the club host the 2020 NSW Womens Open, which will attract players from across the world and give Dubbo international exposure.

But the irrigation works will also provide a facility that can hopefully help the club attract other major events and drive a new source of tourism for our region. Bearing that in mind, the money will also help facilitate the installation of a disability access lift to the clubhouse, making the facility more inclusive and able to attract functions and forums. Again, this is a terrific win for our entire community.

On Friday, I announced that $6.245m will be spent on making the roads in our electorate safer. Nine projects are on the list at locations all across the Dubbo electorate, which is an indication of our government’s commitment to road safety. With these projects we will see an increase in roadworks across our region and I urge motorists to take caution and show patience when they come across these works.

The week finished with the announcement of $2.3 million in funding for the Mudgee Art Gallery and Cultural Centre project. This started with the handing back of the former government building to Mid-Western Regional Council for $1, and now the government has contributed a significant amount of money to help the 90 Market Street location come back to life. I look forward to seeing what Mayor Des Kennedy and his team at council and the arts community, create with the centre.