Opinion
30 January, 2026
Yes Minister! Or No Minister?! Southern NSW misses out.
As publisher of The Southern Wire, in Southern NSW, I think all the time about our part of NSW. I’ve heard of a Minister for the Hunter, but is there a Minister for Southern NSW — covering Wollondilly, the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands and surrounding southern regions?
As publisher of The Southern Wire, in Southern NSW, I think all the time about our part of NSW.
I’ve heard of a Minister for the Hunter, but is there a Minister for Southern NSW — covering Wollondilly, the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands and surrounding southern regions?
Our local area contains magnificent national parks, rainforests, wineries, cattle farms, sheep farms and a potentially strong tourism industry. We even have two of the state’s “big things” — a spud and a merino. More than 200,000 people live in our readership area, with up to another 400,000 expected to move into the northern parts of the region over the next 10 years. Over 200,000 people a year visit Fitzroy Falls, more visitors than Kakadu!
What we don’t have, are the services essential to an area of our size and importance.
We have poor trains, pot hole riddled roads, no passenger airport terminal and we lose business, jobs and tourists to Canberra and Sydney. Surely there is a Minister for Southern NSW?
So off I toddled to the NSW Government website.
We have a Treasurer, a Minister for Climate Change, an Arts Minister, a Planning Minister, a Minister for Digital Government, a much-needed Minister for Homelessness, and a Minister for Music…seriously!
Then I reached the part where regional ministers are mentioned.
There is a Minister for Regional New South Wales — a huge job covering almost the entire state outside Sydney.
There is a Minister for Western Sydney.
There is a Minister for the Hunter. Good wineries up there! The Hunter has received considerable ministerial attention, including visits from the Minister for Water, Rose Jackson, and the former Minister for Transport, Joe Haylen, in early 2025. Then Minister Haylen told the ABC after booking a chauffeur to the Hunter Valley to attend Minister Jackson’s birthday party, ‘I made the wrong decision, we did have a long lunch, and we did drink and eat’. Haylen lasted less than another day or two in the role. Plenty of time for lunch now!
Moving on, there is a Minister for the Central Coast.
Further north again, Janelle Saffin is the Minister for the North Coast.
Then there’s Ryan Park MP, the Minister for Health, who is also the Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast - close - but missed it by that much. Those of us above the escarpment, and not dipping our toes into the ocean, miss out.
That’s five ministers responsible for specific regions of NSW.
In our readership area — nothing.
The pattern is clear: where regions have a named minister, they have a seat at the cabinet table and a direct line into decision-making. Where they don’t, they are expected to compete for attention.
Southern NSW is losing that competition.
This masthead contacted Premier Chris Minns for comment. At the time of publication, no response was forthcoming.
Southern NSW deserves better.
Two of our local state MPs are arguing for better services, including roads and trains. They cannot do it alone. Government must step up and give Southern NSW a dedicated minister — someone regional leaders can meet with, lobby and advocate to, who then sits around the cabinet table and is directly accountable. Without a dedicated minister responsible for Southern NSW, our regions remain nobody’s primary responsibility.
Having looked at the Labor State government’s approach, I then checked how the Liberal/National opposition is going.
There is a shadow Minister for the North Coast.
There is a shadow Minister for Western NSW.
Scott Farlow is the shadow Minister for the Hunter.
There is a shadow Minister for South-Western Sydney, which stops at the northern edge of our readership area.
Chris Rath is the shadow Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast. On his appointment in October 2025, he said, “from the escarpment to the sea, it’s a place that defines the best of NSW.” Good words — but again, those of us above the escarpment miss out, but let's not talk about the Macquarie Pass!
Jacqui Munro is the shadow Minister for the Central Coast.
After all of that, there is no minister or shadow Minister for Southern NSW.
Nobody is focused, in a ministerial capacity, on our national parks, our roads, our rail, our snowfields further south, our infrastructure, our housing, our businesses, our homeless or our need to compete with Canberra and Sydney for jobs, infrastructure and talent. Without a Minister for southern NSW, we continue to fall between the cracks.
Kellie Sloane the NSW opposition leader was in Moss Vale earlier this week. Sloane must have noticed the example of a southern NSW town that is struggling with business closures. Whilst the liberal candidate for Wollondilly will soon be announced, the news we really need is the appointment of a shadow Minister for Southern NSW.
Memo to Chris Minns and Kellie Sloane: give Southern NSW a Minister, and a Shadow Minister. Work with our local MPs and our communities. Give our region a voice at the cabinet table — let voters judge the results at the next election, you might just be surprised …if you put the work in.
Read More: Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, Wollondilly