Water top of agenda for new Premier

Member for Barwon Roy Butler (centre) on the Darling River at Menindee with Regional Emergency Operations Controller, Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree and NSW Premier Chris Minns. Photo contributed

Concerns that the new Labor government would not connect with people in the bush have been eased, with the new Premier Chris Minns spending his first day in the job touring Menindee in the wake of the recent fish kills.

Independent Member for Barwon, Roy Butler, was full of praise for Premier Minns, who invited him to join the tour of Menindee last week and even picked him up in a chartered aircraft to be part of the fact-finding tour.

Premier Minns made the trip to Menindee to meet with residents following another mass fish kill, to address concerns about water quality and environmental factors.

“There were concerns that the Labor government wouldn’t understand the bush, but for the Premier to make the trip to the far west on his first day to see firsthand what was happening showed that wasn’t the case,” Mr Butler said.

“He could have gone to western Sydney where there are millions of people but instead chose to visit Menindee where there are about 500 people.

“There is very little trust about what has happened, and the community deserves to know what the outcomes are from the investigations. […]

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