7 May 2025
Mr ROBERT DWYER (Port Macquarie) (17:46): Mr Speaker, members, family, friends and the people of the Port Macquarie electorate, I respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we meet on, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and pay respects to the Birpai peoples of the Port Macquarie electorate. I pay respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We are privileged to live amongst the world's oldest continuing living culture, a source of enduring pride and wisdom. It is with deep humility and immense pride that I deliver my inaugural speech in this House. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity.
It is an honour to be allowed to serve the people of the Port Macquarie electorate—a beautiful part of New South Wales that I am lucky to have called home for more than three decades. I am also keenly aware of the responsibility this office holds. The electorate is vast, from Lord Howe Island in the east, to Harrington, Coopernook, Moorland and Johns River in the south, to the farming hinterland of Hannam Vale and Kendall in the west, through to the coastal areas of Laurieton, Bonny Hills and Lake Cathie, to the larger northern centre of Port Macquarie. It is a strong, vibrant and growing community—a region of remarkable natural beauty, resilient people and boundless potential. It is also a community of contrasts, where new developments meet historic natural landscapes, where tradition blends with innovation and where regional values underpin a vision for future prosperity.
I am grateful to my colleagues, volunteers and every member of the community who placed their trust in me to bring their voice to this House. I especially acknowledge Leslie Williams, the former member for Port Macquarie, who is in the gallery today and who served our community with passion, integrity and tireless dedication for over 14 years. Leslie's record as a local member, Minister, and shadow Minister across various portfolios speaks for itself. With the assistance of her late husband, Don, for many years she has been a true champion, leading by example, devoted to service, and always putting the community first. If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me, "You've got big shoes to fill," I might have afforded myself a good pair of heels—and perhaps some runners too—to try to keep up with Leslie's pace and sense of style.
Leslie was the founding head of my campaign team. Todd Lynch stepped up into the role minutes after stepping off a long‑haul flight and led the campaign alongside Justin Levido, Jeff Gillespie, my wonderful wife, Kate, and Chris Stone and his dedicated Liberal Headquarter team. I owe them, our branch president Terry McDermott, members, and the entire campaign team a deep debt of gratitude. Their tireless efforts, experience and spirit were instrumental to our success. I extend my immense gratitude to our Liberal leader, Mark Speakman, who walked with me countless times on the campaign trail and went above and beyond, including by joining me on a few Sunday morning five-kilometre park runs. Actually, the real story is that he asked me to go on my first park run, and my legs are still recovering. I probably really do need to invest in those good runners, don't I, Leslie!
Mark, I am indebted to you for your support and guidance. Thank you to our deputy leader, Natalie Ward, Aileen MacDonald, and my many Liberal Party colleagues, including David Begg and Chris Rath, for their valuable support and encouragement throughout the campaign. I am also grateful to the many volunteers and staffers who generously gave up their weekends driving to and from Port Macquarie to assist in the campaign. Your dedication and commitment are second to none. We met people on their doorsteps, heard their stories and gained a better understanding of their hopes, aspirations and challenges. Over the past few months you have taught me that campaigning is not just a political exercise but a human one.
Fortunately, after 32 years of living in the Port Macquarie electorate and many years of involvement in business, sport and volunteering, I was able to call upon many friends to assist at pre‑poll and on election day across the 27 polling booths. Their support was overwhelming and heartwarming. It showed me how deeply personal politics is, and how every vote is not just a number but a story, a belief and a hope. A special thanks to my mum, Pat Dwyer; my mothers-in-law—I am blessed to have two—Lea McKinnon and Isla Atchison; my father-in-law, Don McKinnon; and my cousin, Peter Jenkins, who spent hours working on the booths and enjoyed a few good‑natured, cheeky verbal spars along the way. While I might be the new kid on the block, I am blessed with an excellent team in the Port Macquarie electorate office, with Terry Sara, Elaine Schofield, Lyn McWhirter, and Chris Bawn. They work tirelessly for our community. Together, they have over 55 years of experience with the New South Wales Parliament, so rest assured that the people of the Port Macquarie electorate are in safe hands.
My journey here has not been a straight path. In 1993, after completing a Bachelor of Business and many part-time jobs, I began work at the Laurieton United Services Club. Initially I just hoped to save enough to travel the world. With a degree in hand and the world at my feet, I thought I had all the answers. Fortunately, Margot Bryant, who I believe is in the gallery today, had other ideas. Margot, who had worked internationally with PricewaterhouseCoopers and served 16 years as the club's finance manager, taught me lessons in life and how to run a business through administration that have stood me in good stead ever since.
After saving enough, I travelled to Japan to work as a ski instructor for a season, but I returned home and, many thanks to Margot's guidance, by 26 I was appointed finance manager. By 30, I was proud to be appointed the general manager, a role I would hold for the next 24 years. I have had the privilege of working with over 100 different community groups and organisations, from Legacy to the Camden Haven Redbacks Soccer Club. Through this, I deeply understood that strong communities are the foundation of a strong society. My community involvement extended beyond work. I have been a lifesaver since 2006; a Nippers manager; a junior cricket and soccer coach; a life member, player and coach for the Camden Haven Hockey Club; Chair of the Slice of Haven Food and Wine Festival since 2008; Treasurer of the ClubsNSW Southern Subregion; Past President and Vice‑President of the Great Lakes Club Managers' Association; and a proud patron of Community at 3 and Legacy, among other organisations.
Leading an award‑winning business with two venues that turned over $15 million annually, employing 80 staff and maintaining a golf course, bowling greens and a services club while navigating the regulatory requirements and protecting vital community assets was no small feat. I could not have asked for a better board of directors and team over the years. I am so grateful for them. Their belief and support were among the first and strongest I received when deciding to stand for public office. I thank them. The challenges we faced—whether fires, floods, or storms—revealed the true character of our community and the importance of clubs in it.
During the 2019 bushfires and the 2021 floods, the Laurieton United Services Club became an emergency evacuation centre, sheltering over 400 people—and 65 pets, from birds to dogs to lizards, and we even had a cow visit—for four nights. For those who can recall those dates, that was indeed during the COVID pandemic. In those moments I saw firsthand the extraordinary outcomes possible when locals, community groups, volunteers and government work together selflessly for others. That spirit is something I will seek to harness for all of the Port Macquarie electorate.
With that foundation, let's turn to the road ahead: the challenges we face and the work to be done. Our region has experienced extraordinary growth: a 16 per cent population increase over the past decade and a further 27 per cent anticipated to 2046, when it will have over 115,000 people in Port Macquarie city alone. Port Macquarie is certainly rapidly evolving into a regional city. Growth brings opportunity but it also brings challenges to our roads, water and sewerage infrastructure, environment, housing, hospitals, emergency services and, of course, first responders. We must meet these demands head-on, with innovative solutions and forward‑thinking leadership. I believe we have the talent, creativity and resilience within our community to not only meet these challenges but to thrive in spite of them. This means investing in the future, planning for population growth and ensuring we protect what makes our region unique: its environment, its people and its spirit.
Feedback from our constituents has identified the top issues in our electorate, including affordability and access to health care, the Wrights Road debacle, the need for an overpass linking the Pacific Highway to Harrington and Coopernook, more police on the beat, improvements to education, the Houston Mitchell Drive intersection with the M1, social housing and broader regional planning. In the first seven weeks, I have tackled these issues head-on. I have met with the MidCoast Council General Manager to discuss roads in Coopernook, Moorland and Crowdy Head, and with the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Mayor and Acting CEO to discuss extensive infrastructure matters hampering our growth potential within the local government area.
I have held discussions with the Mid North Coast Police District Commander, Inspector Shane Cribb, to discuss law and order issues; the Chief Executive of the Mid North Coast Local Health District, Jill Wong, to talk about the upgrade to Port Macquarie Base Hospital; and the Director of Educational Leadership in the Hastings region, Andrew Kuchling, to discuss issues affecting students and teachers in our area. I have also met with many shadow Ministers. Tomorrow I will meet with the Minister for Roads to encourage urgent work to alleviate traffic congestion on the Oxley Highway. Next week I am meeting with the environment Minister for a briefing on issues affecting Lord Howe Island and local parks. I have also reached out to the Minister for Health and the Minister for Housing for meetings to advocate for key regional projects and community priorities.
Local representatives play a crucial role in advocating for their communities, shaping legislation, and ensuring local voices are heard. It is a responsibility I take seriously, because effective local representation does not just influence State policy; it transforms lives on the ground. Our stories, our challenges and our aspirations must be reflected in the decisions made here. That is what drives me every day. As a long-term supporter and patron of Community at 3, an incorporated homelessness charity, I am committed to community housing. No-one in our region should be without a safe place to call home.
With the extreme shortage of housing across the nation, it hurts me to speak to people in the electorate about their housing concerns and how they are currently living in tents or their cars, or couch surfing. That is untenable. I will work to ensure the community housing development on the corner of Gordon and Grant streets in Port Macquarie comes to fruition to help reduce the more than 10-year waiting list for social housing. As an active volunteer surf lifesaver, I see the desperate need for improvements to facilities in which the five surf clubs in our electorate operate. Those clubs sincerely need upgrades to keep pursuing their simple mission: saving lives, creating great Australians and building better communities.
Working with local clubs to improve those facilities is one of my early priorities. Our volunteer emergency services and community organisations need our support, and I intend to be a tireless advocate on their behalf. Sustainability is essential. During my time at the Laurieton United Services Club, we lifted our Ecotourism Australia sustainability score from 60 per cent to 89 per cent in just 18 months. I understand the importance of continuous environmental improvement and am committed to preserving the natural beauty that makes our region so special. Sustainability also extends to many aspects of life and building solid regional communities, such as how we manage growth, plan infrastructure and empower local innovation. We know that meeting the challenges ahead will require strong collaboration across local, State and Federal governments. I am committed to being a fierce advocate to ensure the Port Macquarie electorate remains a wonderful place to work, nurture innovation, live and raise a family.
I have long been drawn to the values of the Liberal Party: the inalienable rights and freedoms of all people; a government that nurtures and encourages its citizens; parliamentary democracy; a just and humane society; equal opportunity and tolerance; the encouragement and facilitation of wealth creation; the preservation of Australia's natural beauty and environment for future generations; and belief in individual freedom and free enterprise. But I also recognise that every member of this Parliament, regardless of party, shares a fundamental commitment to making New South Wales a better place. If we stay true to that ideal, we can achieve great things together. My family is my world and they have been my rock throughout this journey. My wife, Kate, has deep roots in our region through her work, community engagement and volunteering, and was my number one booth captain. Our wonderful children, Flyn, Jim and Neive—who have grown up in Port Macquarie and been involved in school activities, sport and community service—spent many hours handing out flyers at the booths, encouraging people to vote for Dad. Thank you—you are amazing and a constant source of inspiration.
My family history, like everyone's, has shaped me. My paternal grandparents left the Dwyer family home in south-east Queensland in the mid-1940s for a housing commission home in Sydney's west, which had access to a choice of education for their future. My mother's parents raised three daughters, also in Sydney's west. They relied on public transport to access work, school and family. It is still bewildering to my children that they never owned a car or held a driver licence. Both sets of grandparents were involved in their church groups and children's schools, coached junior sports and were always front and centre in community and family life. My parents—my mother, Pat, and my late father, Greg—continued the tradition of family dedication through their involvement with our schools, coaching of sporting teams and commitment to providing a stable foundation for their children and grandchildren. Growing up with my sisters and brother, Rachel, James, Kellie and Kate, was wonderful and, at times, challenging for all parties. We were raised with the values of service, perseverance and gratitude, which I continue to see in them today.
Losing my brother, James, when he was just 16 years old taught our family that life is not a dress rehearsal. Every moment matters. As poet Maya Angelou said, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." From all those experiences, I learned that the true measures of success are not titles or accolades but what you give and what you help others become. Whether it is seeing young nippers grow into lifesavers or junior staff become leaders, those moments—among many others—have inspired me to do better, be better and always give more than I receive. That is why I stand here today: to contribute, to give back and to help the Port Macquarie electorate and New South Wales achieve even greater things. The NSW Liberals stand not just for one community but for all who believe that regional voices matter, that public service is a noble calling and that real change begins with listening.
I know the journey ahead will not always be smooth. There will be storms. There will be differences and setbacks. But our destination—a stronger, fairer and more vibrant future—remains unchanged. Together, with humility and determination, I believe the NSW Liberals can shape a future that honours our past, addresses the present and builds a legacy for future generations. I am excited to be part of that future for our State. I am grateful to my family, friends, Liberal Party colleagues, countless volunteers and every member of my community who placed their trust in me. I will not take their trust or belief in me for granted. I promise to listen. I promise to work hard. I promise to be a strong voice for our community. And, above all, I promise to serve.