A striking and iconic photo entitled "Sunrise at Kangaroo Hill" near Lightning Ridge has been chosen as the winner of my 2023 Christmas Card Photo Competition.

This image was taken by Naomi Stone and captures the vibrant sunrises and rugged beauty of the Far West.

'Sunrise at Kangaroo Hill' was one of a selection of entries received in the 2023 Christmas Card Photo Competition, which received fewer entries than the previous year but of an incredible standard.

A total of 14 selected photos including the winner are listed in a Media Release on my website and will be featured on my 2023 Christmas Card and 2024 Calendar.

My thanks to all who took part!

Rhino Awards highlight business excellence

Dubbo's annual Rhino Awards is an event run by Dubbo Business Chamber to recognize excellence in the local business community and support local achievements.

I was honoured to speak at this event and see the way in which businesses are growing and thriving in Dubbo.

Dubbo as a town is constantly expanding and presenting some incredible business opportunities as more people choose to live and work in the area.

This is definitely the largest town in the Parkes electorate and a central point for many people further west to access services, as well as being a thoroughfare for freight, a stopping point between Brisbane and Melbourne, and attractive to tourists.

Given the challenges of recent years, including soaring inflation, it's even more timely to acknowledge the local business sector, which has been through significant losses and hardships.

Cost of living continues to cripple households and businesses

While the Labor Government has been distracted, costs of living have continued to soar, and there is an imbalance in the way these are felt between city and country areas.

When constituents have the added challenge of physical distance separating them from services and loved ones, costs such as for petrol, repairs, groceries, or other daily expenses are increased, exacerbating the pressures of inflation.

I've been speaking up about this in Parliament, because time and again urban-based Labor Members of Parliament do not comprehend the needs of people outside of the cities.

The difficulty for me in listening to people from wealthier suburbs speak of their desires to reduce emissions and use less energy is that it's the less well-off and the small businesses that suffer most.

Most Australians in the Parkes electorate can't just tick a box which offsets their carbon emissions; for them the choice is whether to keep the hot water on over winter, or turn the air conditioner on in summer.

For many Australians the cost of cutting emissions doesn't just chip away luxuries; it eats into necessities.

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