Aged care and childcare were the hot topics at Member for Leichhardt Matt Smith’s community forum in Cooktown. Photo: Supplied.
Childcare, aged care and housing stood out as the top priorities of the Cook Shire region when Member for Leichhardt Matt Smith caught up with communities this month.
The Leichhardt MP travelled to Wujal Wujal, Hope Vale and Cooktown on 18-21 February, highlighting the work of local leaders on key issues in the communities.
Mr Smith said aged care and childcare were major topics of conversation in Cooktown with Cook Shire Council Mayor Robyn Holmes and CEO Brian Joiner.
“The word ‘care’ was featured in a lot of our conversations,” he said.
“It was really good to be able to front community with Robyn, answer those questions, and be able to reflect back to the community that Robyn has been doing her job and talking to me, and I’ve been doing my job and talking to Canberra.
“[We’re trying] to map out what this is going to look like in the future to make sure that we can keep delivering to the Cape.”
Mr Smith almost towered over the machinery in the new Hope Vale gymnasium while engaging community leaders, and had a yarn with elders in Wujal Wujal.
“Wujal Wujal’s looking, obviously, for more housing, which is a bit of a curse right across our remote, discrete communities,” he said.
“Hope Vale came with some really unique ideas, which we’re quite excited about, that I want to unpack with them a little bit further.”
He said backing local leaders and maintaining relationships was hugely important in leading an electorate as big as Leichhardt.
“When you’re dealing with an electorate the size of Leichhardt, the people who live on the ground and their representatives, they have to feel like they can talk to me about the things they need, because I can’t be there,” he said.
“I’m always in contact with local leaders, so it really shows that the government is working at all levels, and it shows that we’re all trying to work together.
“An area like the Cape is too big for us to do in silos. It has to be done collaboratively, or we’re just never going to succeed.”
Member for Leichhardt Matt Smith yarned with elders in Wujal Wujal, who highlighted the lack of housing available in the community. Photo: Supplied.
