Geoff has been the Nationals state Member for Tweed since defeating the Labor incumbent in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011.
He is currently the parliamentary secretary to the deputy premier and for regional roads, having previously served as parliamentary secretary for police and emergency services.
Notable achievements include a new dental clinic and increasing nurse and specialist numbers at the Tweed Hospital as well as a new Health One medical centre for Pottsville; 90 extra police for the region resulting in lower crime rates; record funding and flashing lights for Tweed public schools; and unprecedented support for Tweed community groups.
Prior to his election, Geoff ran his own consultancy business, and before that he was the long-term general manager of the Tweed Heads Bowls Club. He has chaired the Regional Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal, the Regional Clean-Up Australia Day Committee, Tweed Tourism and Tweed Neighbourhood Watch and in 2001 was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to the community.
Top 3 priorities
My three top priorities in no particular order are to deliver better services for Tweed families, better services for Tweed seniors and a better deal for Tweed small business.
This requires negotiating state government funding in a wide range of policy areas, the most important of which is health.
A re-elected Liberal and Nationals government will invest $48 million in the June 2015 budget for the next stage of the upgrade of the Tweed Hospital. This is the precise amount requested by the Northern NSW Local Health District board. Construction of the new Tweed-Byron Police command centre will commence shortly. The government will continue to invest record funds into Tweed schools, including $5 million to upgrade Pottsville Public School.
I have also secured election commitments for motorists and cyclists such as $3.6 million to complete the upgrade of Kennedy Drive and $220,000 for a new cycleway along Fraser Drive.
Maintaining the environment is also important and we are now committed to a container deposit scheme. Reverse vending machines in public places around the Tweed will reward locals who do the right thing and recycle their drink containers, while reducing litter and removing plastics from the environment.
The first local issue I will campaign on
While the big dollar initiatives are important, my first local priority is the continued support of local volunteer and community groups. This is where small grants make a big difference. Good examples are the $30,000 grant to complete the Tweed Men’s Shed, the $10,000 grant for Gumnut Community Preschool in Burringbar to provide solar hot water and build a community garden. Supporting Tweed organisations like this will always be my first priority.
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