Paul Scott: Government selective to suit itself when calling Newcastle regional or metropolitan

That's according to Premier Perrottet, who told the NSW Legislative Assembly exactly that. The bold claim was just another rhetorical tactic used by the government to avoid answering a question about the dumping of toxic sludge in Newcastle.

The debate is set down in Hansard, the official record of the proceedings of the Parliament. It was state Labor leader and toxic avenger Chris Minns who asked the Premier if Transport for NSW intended sending 12,000 cubic metres of toxic sludge from Middle Harbour into downtown Newcastle, and if that was the Premier's idea of delivering for the regions. Which is kind of funny, despite it being a serious matter for the people of Newcastle.

It reminded me of a bloke telling me Newcastle won't be named as a new east coast nuclear submarine base because it is "too Labor" and the jobs, jobs, jobs won't be gifted to an ALP stronghold. His partner interjected and said something along the lines of being "too Labor" providing a reason for the Prime Minister to plonk it here. I was struggling to follow the lines of argument. Had I landed in the middle of the 'Friends of Newcastle Nuclear Submarine Base' Facebook page?

When I asked why the Federal Coalition would want to provide all those potential jobs, jobs, jobs in an ALP stronghold, I was told by the bloke's partner it was because if the submarine base was blown up, it wouldn't affect the Coalition vote. Also kind of funny, if it too wasn't a serious issue for the people of Newcastle. I'm reasonably confident there'd be a couple of matters situated higher on the hierarchy of needs than future voting patterns if a nuclear submarine base in Newcastle was blown up.

Back to the land of Hansard and toxic sludge - which is such a beautifully descriptive term when compared to excessive oceanic material - and delivering for the regions. The Premier said there has never been a government that has delivered more for regional New South Wales than the Liberals and Nationals. He tried to avoid a further sludge sledge by listing numerous government achievements before asking "what else is there?"

"Regional seniors travel card," said Deputy Premier Paul Toole.

"Let's not go there," replied Premier Perrottet.

And perhaps for good reason. The regional seniors travel card provides a $250 prepaid Visa card to seniors living in regional areas to help with the costs of travel.

Those living in the Newcastle LGA were excluded from receiving the travel card.

That's because the government likes to pick and choose when they view Newcastle as regional and when they see it as metropolitan. However, those living in the Lake Macquarie City Council LGA are eligible for the card. If you live on a side of the street designated in the Newcastle LGA, you miss out. Same street, different eligibility. Being classified as "metropolitan" means exclusion from numerous projects and grant programs aimed at regional LGAs.

The Newcastle LGA has missed out on the Regional Sport Infrastructure Fund, the Regional Cultural Fund and the Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund. But it has also been ineligible for larger metropolitan grants with those only being available for Sydney based LGAs.

It's not just the state government that fudges determinations around metro or regional status. One of the most obvious examples of "we'll decide who is regional from time-to-time according to criteria that is as inexplicable as it is inconsistent" was the Morrison government granting $10 million in 2020 to North Sydney Council for the North Sydney Olympic Pool - from a program originally earmarked for regional and rural communities.

But the Mayor of North Sydney claimed the pool was "definitely a regional facility" as people from all over the state use the pool. Seriously. It's like a script reading for a new series of Utopia.

The Hansard discussion on regional delivery in NSW saw the Premier claim the light rail was a great example of delivering for the regions and that he knew Crackers rides the light rail at every opportunity, claiming "Minister Dominello has the data from the member's Opal card and we know where he is travelling." Spooky.

So, on the one hand the government is delivering for the regions including Newcastle, but on the other hand Newcastle is not regional enough to warrant its eligible Seniors a travel card. But let's not go there.

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