17 February 2012

The Nationals Member for Burrinjuck, Katrina Hodgkinson, has welcomed the appointment of Steve Toms as the State’s first Cross Border Commissioner.

"Cross-border issues between NSW and the ACT have been an ongoing concern within the Burrinjuck electorate, particularly within the Yass Valley Shire," Katrina said.

"Under the former NSW Labor Government, I frequently raised many cross-border issues that made daily life difficult for many of my constituents.

"In a first step to addressing these problems, which were ignored by the previous NSW Labor government for 16 years, the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Regional Collaboration between the NSW and the ACT.

"I welcome the announcement by NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services Andrew Stoner of Mr Toms' appointment.

"The new Cross Border Commissioner has wide experience dealing with issues affecting rural and regional communities as a Land Manager working for NSW Parks and Wildlife Service and Forests NSW, and as a Councillor and Mayor for the Glen Innes Severn Council."

Katrina said Mr Toms will help to ensure a fair go for NSW residents living in the region around the ACT on a number of cross border-related issues.

“Some of these include shared postal addresses and postcodes, licensing for tradespeople and other businesses, payroll tax, and inequitable access to services such as disability and education.

“The Commissioner will offer people living in regional NSW a dedicated advocate and a powerful communication and engagement channel for local border issues.

“I will be meeting with the new Cross Border Commissioner at the earliest opportunity to raise issues of local concern, and I am eager to get to work immediately to tackle the issues faced by our community.”

“The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government understands the unique issues that exist in border communities and, unlike the former NSW Labor Government, we are tackling them head on,” Katrina said.

Mr Toms has been appointed initially for a two-year term and as NSW Cross Border Commissioner will:
• provide an advocate for the concerns of cross-border communities;
• review existing cross-border governance & management arrangements; and
• develop strategies to optimise the delivery of services to these communities.

The role will be hosted within NSW Trade & Investment and work closely with border communities and stakeholders.

The Cross Border Commissioner will provide specialist advice to the Deputy Premier, the NSW Government and the Director General of NSW Trade & Investment.

"This is an issue, particularly within the Yass Valley Shire, that I have been highlighting and working on for more than a decade, it's great to see that the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government has moved so quickly to address this long ignored problem," Katrina Hodgkinson said.