Only days out from the NSW state budget, Gunnedah's mayor Jamie Chaffey said 24-hour policing and the full upgrade of Gunnedah hospital are the two top priorities for the shire.
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Cr Chaffey met with senior staff from the NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley's office and state treasurer Daniel Mookhey's office in Sydney on Wednesday, September 13.
He was there to voice his concerns about urgent funding needed for the Gunnedah region, ahead of the September 19 budget.
"From the conversations [I had], I think it's very clear that the budget is going to be fairly tight," Cr Chaffey said.
"There is a consideration that education and health will be the two areas right across NSW where we'll see the most money poured into, whether that's in services or in infrastructure wasn't clear.
"But the clear message I got from the treasury team is it's going to be a tight [budget], it's going to be tough."
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Cr Chaffey said he was not able to get funding commitments for either of the shire's top two priorities - more police and the Gunnedah hospital - during his visit to the parliament house on Macquarie Street.
"I wasn't able to get a commitment, but I certainly heard that across NSW there is enormous pressure with the need for more police," Cr Chaffey said.
"There are not adequate numbers to fill positions. It's not just in Gunnedah but in locations everywhere, right across metropolitan and rural, regional and remote parts of NSW."
Cr Chaffey said he presented detailed information to the senior representatives about "the status quo" in Gunnedah, referring to the increasing number of car thefts and home break-ins.
"We showed some footage of actual incidents just to highlight the fact that the situation is not changing, and we are definitely in need of more sworn officers on the beat, providing proactive policing," Cr Chaffey said.
The mayor also attempted to secure a funding commitment to deliver on the full upgrade of the Gunnedah Hospital after the design and scope had to be scaled back due to an increase in the cost of materials.
"We need many more millions to be able to deliver on the hospital, and by sharing that message I gave [them] a much better understanding of the history of the situation," Cr Chaffey said.
Gunnedah will hold a Crime Prevention and Community Safety Conference from November 23 to 24, at the Gunnedah Town Hall, with NSW Minister for Police Yasmin Catley in attendance among others.
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