State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will today move a Notice of Motion in the NSW Parliament, calling for the Minister for Regional Transport to make the Regional Seniors Travel Card fair for all local residents.
The Motion calls on the Minister to ensure that all seniors, including veterans, disability pensioners, carers and those that live in the Newcastle Local Government Area are included in the Regional Seniors Travel Card program.
Since the program first launched in January this year, Ms Hornery’s office has received hundreds of calls, emails and letters from upset residents who have been denied access to the program. Many of these residents live in areas where there is little or no public transport and transports costs are high.
Ms Hornery and other local State MPs have launched a petition calling for the Minister to fix the Regional Seniors Travel Card and this Notice of Motion will give another opportunity for a debate on the floor of Parliament.
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“This program has been a shambles since it was first rolled out in January. This Notice of Motion gives the Minister an opportunity to debate the issue and explain his reasoning behind excluding large sections of the Wallsend electorate.”
“The program has major problems, with some residents in Beresfield being approved for the Card despite living in the Newcastle Local Government Area.”
“So far the Minister has remained silent of the issue and has not responded to letters or emails sent from my office.”
“There are more than 12,000 local residents in the Wallsend electorate who have been excluded.”
“We are sick to death of being left out of programs by this Government. Whether it is sports, arts, tourism or transport funding, we are not receiving our fair share.”
“The simple fix is to make all veterans, disability pensioners, carers and those that live in the Newcastle Local Government Area eligible.”