“What we want is nothing more than equity”

advocating for regional and rural communities

The NSW Country Mayors Association’s mission is to further the interests of rural and regional councils by advocating and lobbying on relevant state and national issues. We work with State and Federal governments and other appropriate organisations to further the interests of member councils, as well as act as an information-sharing forum.

People should have the same rights and opportunities, regardless of where they live within the State.

The recent years of the pandemic coincided with a time of disastrous drought, followed by consecutive natural disasters across New South Wales. By the end of the 2022, the majority of the state’s local government areas were officially disaster declared.

The CMA has worked hard to keep the significant concerns of regional and rural residents in the forefront of the minds of state and federal decision makers. We have lobbied for increased roads funding to restore and upgrade road networks across the state devastated by floods.

Among the priority issues identified by our members have been more targeted skills and training to meet the employment needs of regional New South Wales, the delivery of health services equal to those in metropolitan areas, water security, affordable housing, appropriate policing, telecommunications blackspot coverage, and disaster preparedness and funding.

We have lobbied state and federal representatives to commit to programs and services that deliver real benefits for rural and regional residents in New South Wales.

Our local government organisations are at the heart of New South Wales, and we will continue to listen to them, and to advocate for them.

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