One of the great things about my job is seeing the wonderful things that can be achieved for our communities.
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An example of that came last week when the Wellington Caves Visitor Centre was officially opened.
The centre was a $4.2 million project which benefited from $3.8 million of NSW Government funding through the Stronger Communities Fund.
This facility will provide an added boost for tourism in the western parts of NSW as the Wellington Caves are an important part of our tourism sector.It is one of four locations to make up the Great Big Adventure Pass that was launched last year, so it is terrific that the government could provide significant funding towards what is one of the jewels in our crown when it comes to attracting people to our region.
I congratulate the staff at Dubbo Regional Council for the work they have done in creating a venue that is an asset for our entire region.
Free smoke taint tests for wine growers
The wineries in the Mudgee region are a significant asset for our electorate, and there's little doubt that they have been impacted by the bushfires that hit NSW during the past few months.
That's why it is wonderful that the NSW Government has announced wine-grape growers across NSW will have access to free smoke taint tests.
Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro said NSW businesses were heavily impacted by the bushfires and the NSW Government is acting quickly to ensure communities and industries get back on their feet.
I've spoken to a number of people involved in the industry, and the message came through loud and clear that the smoke haze from the bushfires will greatly diminish the 2020 vintage, and in some cases, there will be no vintage at all.
Funding will cover a number of tests per business to a cap of $1200 and will be available for all impacted wine-grape growers across NSW.
For more information on bushfire recovery and available financial assistance for producers and farming businesses visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/bushfires.
Pleasure of precipitation
The rain we've had across the region over the past week has been amazing, but I would just like to reiterate the fact that these falls do not mean the drought is anywhere near being over.
It has been great to see photos and videos from all parts of the electorate of creeks running, dams filling up and the colour explosion that comes from having some moisture in the soil.
Sadly, while we've seen some inflows into Burrendong Dam, it hasn't been enough to do much when it comes to lifting the storage within the dam.
Hopefully, these falls are the starting point for a wet autumn and winter, and we can get some water running into the dam.
