00:00I run two properties, one at Mount George on the River Flats and now the
00:07property of my father's who passed away in April at Cundell Flat. We've had severe
00:16damage on those two properties. I'm not sure that we'll be able to get it back.
00:28We've lost somewhere between nine kilometres of fencing and a lot of our
00:37infrastructure on those properties. Our irrigation mains, our pump systems, a lot of issues.
00:48We run about 700 head of cattle. In three weeks time we'll be hand feeding the whole lot.
00:57We lost the Tyro Bridge, located on the Manning River. It now means that I have a
01:08four-hour commute to get to my father's property.
01:12It's nearly impossible to keep up that feeding of those cattle. We also have an
01:21issue that the railway bridges do not have the load limits on our alternate route to
01:27get trucks in, to get supplies in, to get livestock out. It's difficult.
01:40We have a huge amount of red tape and green tape that Council and the Labor Government of
01:46New South Wales continue to push on us.
01:58This is an extreme time and we need this bullshit to disappear.
02:05No matter what side of politics you're sitting on here, we need the community to be supported.
02:21And I just do not understand why the Manning, the Hastings and the Maclay don't seem to be
02:32appearing on the radar of any Government at the moment.
02:40For us to continue, we need this support from Government. It's in there. It's in the guidelines.
02:47It should be allocated. Why are we waiting? It took seven days in 2021. We're now at 33 days.
02:58Why are we waiting, Chris Minns? Why are we waiting, Anthony Albanese?
03:07This community needs support. The workers, the businesses, the rural industries of all kinds
03:20need support today. And why are you not listening to us? Why are you not communicating with us?
03:27And why are we waiting? Thanks for your time.
03:36So where are you? We don't need a petition and we don't need a survey. We're calling on
03:43your mins and we're calling on your elbow. Get the job done and get it done now.
03:55It's very hard to stand here and look out at all of you. All of you who are going through such tough times.
04:04The last thing any Government should be asking of you is to come to a rally to plead. To plead to Government to hear and listen and deliver.
04:18When the Prime Minister came here to Taree, I looked him in the eye. I looked Janelle Safin and Christy McBain in the eye.
04:27I said this area needs two things. We need information and we need your presence. We need the Government presence. We've got nothing.
04:36We haven't got the information. Senator Ross Cadell, the Shadow Minister for Emergency Management is here today with you.
04:45Now he and I have been asking the Federal Government, have you got the application for Category D funding?
04:53Do you know after 33 days we cannot get a clear answer. We can't get an answer to say yes, the State Government has put in the application for funding.
05:04And sometimes we get told, well they have, but they haven't given us all the evidence.
05:08You tell me, Albo's been here. Minz has been here twice. Janelle Safin's been here twice.
05:16Christy McBain's been here. The Assistant Minister for Financial Affairs.
05:21The Assistant Defence Minister and swarms of bureaucrats have been here. And you tell me now and tell you that you still need more evidence.
05:31Again, where are they? Why aren't they delivering? It's time. We need it now.
05:37I can tell you that Tanya and I will not stop. Will not stop until you get Category D funding.
05:45I'm off to Canberra this afternoon and if I have to do a sit-in in the PM's office, I bloody well will. Thank you.