Member for Cootamundra and Shadow Minister for Water Steph Cooke has accused the NSW Government of failing local, regional and rural communities on water infrastructure and PFAs contamination. According to Ms Cooke, the Minns Labor Government’s neglect of the Safe and Secure Water Program has left regional and rural communities struggling to maintain essential water infrastructure, and now the growing crisis of PFAS contamination is leaving them even further behind. Ms Cooke said recent revelations at the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into PFAS Contamination in Waterways and Drinking Water Supplies have highlighted gaps in testing and transparency. Over half of regional drinking water suppliers have either not conducted PFAS testing or have withheld results, exposing regional NSW communities to significant public health risks she said. According to Ms Cooke the Minns Labor government’s inaction on funding critical infrastructure upgrades and addressing PFAS contamination is compounding challenges for local water utilities and councils across regional NSW. “Funding for the Safe and Secure Water Program stopped the day the Minns Labor Government was elected, leaving a growing backlog of critical infrastructure projects in towns and villages across the state, and now they’re facing the added pressure of dealing with potential PFAS contamination,” Ms Cooke said. “The Minns Labor government has not stepped up to meet these challenges. Instead of increasing investment to address the growing backlog, it has left local councils and utilities to deal with these issues largely on their own. “The reality is that small councils and utilities in regional NSW simply don’t have the resources to manage these challenges without additional support." Ms Cooke is accusing the NSW Government of failing to adequately provide funds and leaving affected communities behind. "The NSW Government’s failure to adequately fund infrastructure through the Safe and Secure Water Program is leaving these communities further behind while the backlog of projects continues to grow," she said. “The emerging PFAS contamination issue adds yet another layer of complexity, and the Minns Labor government has placed the burden of testing and potential remediation on local utilities without providing the necessary funding and expertise to support them. “Regional and rural NSW communities deserve better than this patchwork approach to such a serious issue.” Ms Cooke said that the Minns Labor government’s inaction on both infrastructure and PFAS contamination is not just about today’s challenges—it is about the long-term future of water security and public health in NSW. “Without significant investment in the Safe and Secure Water Program, this backlog will continue to grow, and regional communities will fall further behind. Add to this the growing issue of PFAS contamination, and it’s clear that the government has no real plan to address these critical challenges,” she said. “It is not enough to address one issue in isolation. "We need a comprehensive approach that includes increased funding for water infrastructure, PFAS testing, and support for councils and utilities to ensure our communities are safe and our water supply is secure for the future.”
