Independent Member for Port Macquarie

Welcome everyone – from Point Plomer to Harrington, from Lord Howe Island to Lansdowne, and each and every town in between.

Our electorate is one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation thanks to its beauty, climate and lifestyle opportunities, but it also faces some significant challenges as a result of sustained population growth over the past three decades.

Together, we can take on these challenges and build an even stronger community.

Please, take a look around our website, where you’ll find links to the latest news and information about our community, and to our latest e-newsletter.

I welcome your feedback and if there is an issue that you wish to discuss, please feel free to contact our electorate office or leave your comments on our contact page.

Thanks for visiting!

Peter Besseling
Independent Member for Port Macquarie

 

Latest News

IT'S TIME TO RAISE THE BAR

Independent MP Peter Besseling says the foreshore is as important to the people of Port Macquarie as the harbour is to Sydneysiders, and yet the Hastings Regional Crown Reserve still has no management plan that reflects the views of the community.

Four months after the closing date for public comment on a controversial draft plan of management for the reserve, the Member for Port Macquarie told Parliament yesterday that it was time the Lands and Property Management Authority made a decision that was in line with community sentiment.

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RESPITE CENTRE IS UNDERWAY

Independent Member of Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling, has welcomed the start to construction of Port Macquarie’s $1.6 million dementia day care centre.

“This has been a truly co-operative community effort to deliver much-needed respite for people who care for loved ones with dementia,” said Mr Besseling, who is also the co-convenor of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Dementia.

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POLICY IS WRONG FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES

Recent policy decisions confirm that the National Party is trying to move back to a rural focus in order to shore up its supporter base, Independent Member for Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling, said today.

"The recent policy direction taken by the National Party in relation to population growth for rural communities and a proposed 30% reduction of daylight saving hours confirms the shift towards a more rural focus at the direct expense of coastal communities," Mr Besseling said.
 

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GOVT MUST COMMIT TO BY-PASSED VILLAGES

Independent Member for Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling, has called on the NSW Government not to walk away from villages by-passed by the Pacific Highway post upgrade openings.

Addressing the NSW Parliament today, Mr Besseling paid tribute to local residents who have, effectively, been living within a giant construction site for the past two-and-a-half years.

He also recognised the social, tourism and economic value of the $580 million Coopernook to Herons Creek upgrade to the Mid-North Coast’s economy but warned the NSW Government not to forget the communities of Moorland, Johns River and Kew, who are facing unfamiliar challenges as a result of being by-passed by highway traffic.

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POWER PETITION TABLED IN PARLIAMENT

Independent Member for Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling, has taken the concerns of 3600 local residents to Parliament House today, tabling a petition that calls on the NSW Government to reject IPART’s price hike on power bills.

“We didn’t have a lot of time in which to get this campaign underway, so I thank every single person who signed the petition or who collected signatures on behalf of our community,” Mr Besseling said.

“IPART’s recommended 42 per cent increase on power bills over the next three years is out of touch with the stark reality for many households and small business operators – put simply, it is unaffordable for many families and those on a fixed income.
 

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NO MARINE PARK IN THE CAMDEN HAVEN

NSW Environment Minister, Frank Sartor, has categorically ruled out a marine park being established in the Camden Haven.

Mr Sartor, who was in the Port Macquarie this week at the invitation of Independent MP Peter Besseling, said the NSW Government had no plans to create any more marine parks along the NSW coastline; instead it would focus on improving the management of existing marine parks.Mr Besseling said he welcomed the Environment Minister’s clear position on marine parks and expected it would help allay the concerns of local anglers.

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