Different ways of sustaining regional communities will be examined first-hand by Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis, who says he hopes to bring workable ideas back to Australia for possible introduction in regional New South Wales.
Mr Gulaptis will be undertaking a 21-day international parliamentary study tour in July under a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association program designed to promote the exchange of policy ideas and strengthen MP-level links between like-minded nations.
“The sustainability of regional communities is a passion I share with many in the Clarence and Richmond Valleys which have stood up to so many natural disasters in recent times,” Mr Gulaptis said.
“I have chosen Canada and north-western USA because of the mainly similarities regional towns there share with ours.”
“I will be meeting regional business and local government representatives and asking them how they manage their communities through natural disasters and other challenges and how they plan to build their stronger future.”
Mr Gulaptis’s itinerary includes US towns in rural Montana and Washington State, five regional Canadian communities and three days of meetings at the British Columbia provincial parliament in Vancouver.
Mr Gulaptis will submit a publicly available report on the outcomes of the visits after his return to Australia.