Hills District Independent August 2020 #62 August 2020 | Page 21

POLITICS I am available to help with a range of Federal matters including: • Aged Care & Pensions • Centrelink Michelle Rowland MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GREENWAY ADVERTISEMENT • National Disability Insurance Scheme • Medicare • Taxation & Superannuation • Immigration Level 1, Suite 101C, 130 Main Street Blacktown PO Box 8525 Blacktown NSW 2148 (02) 9671 4780 [email protected] MRowlandMP www.michellerowland.com.au Authorised by Michelle Rowland MP, Australian Labor Party, Suite 101C, Level 1, 130 Main Street, Blacktown NSW 2148 Thank you, essential workers! with Michelle Rowland MP The last few months have been difficult for Australians. On behalf of our community, thank you to the essential workers who have helped us through. From health care professionals, to transport workers, teachers and emergency services, thank you for the important role you’ve played – we are forever in your debt. Let’s Kickstart Greenway While we continue to confront the impacts of COVID-19 and must remain vigilant to community outbreaks, I believe all levels of Government should be fasttracking infrastructure projects to lead the economic recovery. That’s why I’ve launched my ‘Let’s Kickstart Greenway’ campaign calling on the Federal and State Governments to: - Fast track the Prospect Highway upgrade - Reduce traffic congestion in Riverstone by delivering the Bandon Road upgrade - Finally build the Rouse Hill Hospital with an emergency ward. To join my campaign to deliver infrastructure for North-West Sydney, please get in contact with my office. Shop local Over the past few weeks, I’ve been redoubling my efforts to support local small businesses and I’d encourage you to do the same! The Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA) recently launched their ‘Go Local’ campaign. It’s an excellent reminder of the important role that small businesses play in our economy. Take the next few weeks to get into good small business habits and consider supporting local retailers and service providers. Latest health advice As we confront small community outbreaks in South-West Sydney, please obtain the latest health advice from reliable sources. Information update in real time can be accessed at www.health. gov.au. Remember to wash your hands and if you have flu-like symptoms, get tested! The locations of COVID-19 testing facilities can be found at www.nsw.gov. au/covid-19/how-to-protect-yourself-andothers/clinics. My new electorate office My Greenway electorate office recently moved to a new location in Blacktown: Level 1, Suite 101C, 130 Main Street, Blacktown (opposite Blacktown TAFE). Our opening hours remain the same, 9:00am- 5:00pm Monday to Friday. If I can be of assistance with any Federal matters, I can be contacted by email on [email protected]. au or by phone on 9671 4780. with Julian Leeser MP I’ve been campaigning for better telecommunications for our electorate since I was elected. But in May this year, frustrated by the lack of action, I upped the campaign and asked you to tell me your stories and your issues so I could take them to Telstra and the other telecommunications companies. I heard extraordinary stories from our community, such as a woman in Glenhaven who couldn’t call an ambulance when she was having a stroke, or a neurosurgeon in Dural who was on call who couldn’t receive a call to tell him that he needed to go see patients. These are the sorts of issues that the people in the Berowra electorate live with every day. Since then I have had three meetings with Telstra’s CEO, Andy Penn, and I’m pleased to report that we’ve got action. Firstly, Telstra has agreed to improve their infrastructure, so in areas that were severely affected by those February storms and went for months without telecommunications, Telstra is promising to improve the infrastructure. Secondly, Telstra has promised to build two towers in our community that will cover Dural, Middle Dural and Glenhaven. Thirdly, I’ve extracted a promise from Andy Penn to come to our electorate so that he can see first-hand that despite the fact that Telstra’s coverage maps say that we have coverage in certain areas, the truth for some communities is that that coverage actually doesn’t exist. I’ve also made a submission to the mobile black spot discussion paper to ensure that we have the right in our community, which is bush fire affected and an outer metropolitan area of Sydney, to access more mobile towers as part of the black spot campaign. Previously, most of those black spot opportunities have gone to rural and regional Australia. Telecommunications should be like electricity and water; it is absurd that people living 40 minutes from the Sydney CBD can’t get mobile coverage. I’m now receiving regular updates from Telstra and from the other telecommunications companies. So, if you have an issue, always feel free to reach out to me. I’ll continue to fight until we’ve got the telecommunications in our community that we deserve. THE HILLS INDEPENDENT www.hdinews.com.au ISSUE 62 // AUGUST 2020 21