The current plans for the rollout of the COVID vaccine have been at best, unclear for the Tamworth region. The exclusion of Tamworth in the list of vaccination hubs for NSW is, in my opinion, short-sighted. Tamworth is the largest city in the Northwest of NSW and an obvious choice for a central location for the rollout for the vaccine in the wider region.
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Our communities have been extraordinarily vigilant in preventing a single COVID outbreak since March of last year, but we should not be forgotten for our exemplary record. I want our community protected in case of a future outbreak and have made representations to help ensure our community is not left unvaccinated.
Australia currently has limited access to the foreign produced Phizer and BioNTech vaccine. I do though remain optimistic about the impending approval of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine. A vaccine produced in Australia will mean shorter supply chains and quicker access for our community. I will be remaining in close contact with the relevant state and federal authorities as to when our region may see access to these vaccines; information which I will pass on as it becomes available.
In other news
This is my first column for the NDL in the new year. I was so happy to see our local families and friends able to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in a semi-normal COVID safe way. We saw communities in Sydney in lockdown over Christmas but we remained open. I am truly proud of our region's determination to keep COVID out and stay happy and healthy.
Australia Day Awards
The Australia Day Awards ceremony was a particular highlight for me in the New Year. It was so amazing seeing all our local heroes achieving such great things for our communities. From the bravery of young Georgia Smith or the dedication of Ken Hall; it's great to see local heroes across all age groups dedicated to improving our communities at a grassroots level. From Tamworth to Manilla. Nundle to Werris Creek, Gunnedah to Walcha and everywhere in between, our communities are built on their members and to see them recognised filled me with a sense of pride.
All the best for 2021
With the dust settled on the New Year and kids now back to school, I wish everyone across our region all the best for 2021. The past few years have presented us with so many challenges and I will continue to work with our community to address anything that comes our way. I look forward to seeing you all this year and to working together to build a better region.
