No Tillegra Dam Group

With the NSW state Labor government reeling from one poor and desperate decision to another and looking more and more like imploding NOW is the time to lobby our local MPs, many of whom are in marginal seats. Please send your local MP a clear message by writing a letter – preferably your own or you can copy and paste the sample below, just make sure to address it to the correct MP – or send an email. The addresses and contact details for our local MPs are listed below. Below these is a sample letter that you could use.
Ask you friends to write letters, pass the link to this page on – writing a letter does register with MPs – it lets them know the we as individuals care and want them to do something about a bad decision.

LIST OF LOCAL MPS:

MAITLAND (ALP)
Mr Frank Terenzini
34 Church Street, Maitland 2320
Email: maitland@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 44933 1617

CESSNOCK (ALP)
The Hon Kerry Hickey
118 Vincent Street, Cessnock 2325
PO Box 242, Cessnock 2325
Email: ahickey@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 4991 1466

CHARLESTOWN (ALP)
Mr Matthew Morris
Suite 3, Level 2, The Forum Complex,
240-244 Pacific Highway,
Charlestown 2290
PO Box 135, Charlestown 2290.
Email: charlestown@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 4942 1242

LAKE MACQUARIE (IND)
Mr Greg Piper
92 Victory Parade, Toronto 2283
Email: lakemacquarie@parliament.gov.au
Tel: 4959 3200

NEWCASTLE (ALP)
The Hon Jodi MacKay
26 Bolton Street, Newcastle 2300
PO Box 1816, Newcastle 2300
Email: newcastle@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 4926 1133 (Local issues)

Level 37, Governor Macquarie Tower,
1 Farrer Place, Sydney 2000
Minister for the Hunter
Minister for Tourism
Tel: 9228 5668 (Ministerial issues)

PORT STEPHENS (LIB)
Mr Craig Baumann
1/82 Port Stephens Street,
Raymond Terrace 2324
Email: portstephens@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 4987 4455

SWANSEA (ALP)
Mr Robert Coombs
Shop 1, 204-206 Pacific Highway,
Swansea 2281
Email: swansea@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 4972 1133

UPPER HUNTER (NAT)
The Hon George Souris NAT
98 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook 2333
Email: upperhunter@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 6543 1065
Shadow Minister for Gaming and Racing
Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation
Shadow Minister for Major Events

WALLSEND (ALP)
Ms Sonia Hornery
Parliamentary Secretary
Shop 3, 30 Dan Rees Street,
Wallsend 2287
Email: wallsend@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 4950 0955

Sample letter:

The Hon. Jodi McKay MP
Member for Newcastle
PO Box 1816
Newcastle 2300
Dear Ms McKay

RE: TILLEGRA DAM PROPOSAL

I do not believe the proposed Tillegra Dam is required and do not believe that the people of the Hunter should be paying for infrastructure that is not needed. There are many other worthy and immediate infrastructure needs in the Hunter such as transport and hospitals, not to mention schools. The State Government has not demonstrated that the Tillegra Dam is necessary and now that neither Central Coast ratepayers nor developer levies will be paying for the proposed dam, the financial burden will fall unfairly on Hunter households.

This increased financial burden on Hunter households, many of whom are already struggling, is disgraceful.

What will happen to our water bills when the cost of building the Tillegra Dam goes up? Hunter Water’s incompetency with costing has already been demonstrated by the necessity to revise its IPART submission several times. There could be at least a doubling in cost similar to most infrastructure budgets, for example, the Sydney desalination plant.

I urge you, as my local member, to take a stand against the controversial proposal for a major new dam on the Williams River in the Upper Hunter Valley. The Williams River supports a large platypus population, numerous species of native fish, and rare invertebrates. It’s significant areas of vegetation support a diverse range of flora and fauna. The enormous scale of this dam means that all this will be lost. Our children and their children deserve better, they should be able to learn from, enjoy and experience a natural environment just as you and I have.

As my local member, I urge you to strongly advocate to stop this increased burden on already struggling families. I urge you to help protect our rivers, our flora and fauna, our vital agricultural land and ultimately, to seek responsible solutions to our state’s water needs.

Yours sincerely

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Date: