Geoff Helisma | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party Clarence electorate candidate for next year’s state election, Steve Cansdell, has released a tough-talking media release, saying he “has had enough of the inaction by the current Nationals representative”, Chris Gulaptis. “The time for talk is over,” Mr Cansdell said. “We’ve had [Mr Gulaptis and] the Deputy Premier John Barilaro promising funding and upgraded facilities for Grafton Base Hospital for years now and still there is nothing to show.” Mr Gulaptis countered with: “Grafton Base Hospital is about to undergo a $17.4 million upgrade for the new ambulatory care unit delivered by the Nationals in government.” Mr Cansdell also accused Mr Gulaptis of “putting it back on the community to sign his petition to get the urgently required upgrades that Grafton Hospital needs” regarding Mr Gulaptis’s call for the $263.8million upgrade, which is also rated as the Northern NSW Local Health District’s top priority. Mr Cansdell was not available when the Independent called (close to the newspapers’ copy deadline), to ask if he supported the campaign, itself, and whether or not he would continue with it if he were to be elected. Mr Cansdell took aim at the NSW Government’s management of the Restart NSW Fund Act 2011, which requires the government to spend 30 per cent of the fund’s money on rural infrastructure projects “People of rural and regional NSW have missed out on $2billion dollars over the last six years, according to the Auditor-General’s [recent] Report on State Finances,” he said. “Page 18 of the … report states that ‘over the past six years to 30 June 2018, 18.5 per cent of payments [from the Restart NSW Fund] have gone to [country] areas’.” Mr Gulaptis retorted: “The Auditor-General’s report is a snap-shot of payments out of the $30 billion Restart NSW fund, 30 per cent of which the Nationals secured for infrastructure projects across regional NSW. “It is not an annual target, rather one to be met over the life of the fund. Regional NSW will receive its entire share of funding under the fund.” The NSW Treasury’s review of the fund appears to support this, stating: “Treasury has concluded that the objectives of the Act have been achieved to date and remain valid, with the terms of the Act appropriate.” Said Mr Cansdell: “It’s time the Nats opened their cheque book and started spending in rural NSW. “…Our community desperately needs an ambulance station at Iluka, a helipad at Maclean, urgent upgrades at Grafton hospital, sewerage for our smaller communities. “We’ve got the local community fighting for these urgent projects and yet the current member does nothing; they have the money sitting there but refuse to hand it over.” Mr Gulaptis countered: “Claims the Clarence is not getting its fair share of funding from Sydney are quite laughable to be honest, as anyone who has been anywhere near the Pacific Highway the Grafton Bridge, Sportsman’s Creek Bridge at Lawrence or the new gaol will confirm. “In addition to this, over the last six months alone the Nationals have poured over $17 million into sporting, community and cultural projects across the Clarence Valley under the Regional Growth Fund, secured by the Nationals in government. “We’ve also recently announced $5.88 million for a TAFE Connected Learning Centre at Yamba and $1.3 million for a Country University Centre in Grafton. “The level of investment in the Clarence is unprecedented, be it health, education or roads.” Mr Gulaptis’s parting shot: “The most he could hope to achieve if elected is to watch his party trying to blackmail the Government into relaxing gun laws.” Mr Cansdell was unavailable for comment.