There was a school crossing outside of the main gate to Goulburn North Public School.

Why didn't they put the lights there and let the kids walk over then up to Lagoon Street’s pedestrian crossing lights? Good exercise for the children.

The council is also pondering the solution to the problem of what to do with the vehicles turning off Hume Street into Sowerby Street.

A simple solution, council.

Just join up the cement medium strip in Hume Street to stop traffic turning into Sowerby Street.

Go up to the present roundabout with Ducks Lane and then proceed around and back to Sowerby Street.

And traffic leaving Sowerby Street would have to go up to the present roundabout on top of the Hume Highway to head into Goulburn.

Simple, not too costly, but the council will find a way of spending more of our rates to do something elaborate to show off.

With a 23-year-old desperately trying to find work, we thought the good news would be a job offer of regular, casual employment with a Tarago small business owner.

The bad news is, the only way to commute from Wingello to Tarago and back is by train.

The journey?

Wingello to Bundanoon on Opal, then back past Wingello through Goulburn to Tarago via Trainlink: all up, a one-way trip of two hours, 17 minutes – if on time, et cetera.

Wingello to Bundanoon passengers don't have to book, just board.

But Bundanoon to Tarago must be booked, or – as my still unemployed youth discovered – bad luck!

Sure, there were plenty of empty seats. But the booking process remains a mystery now being explored.

The boss says he'll get back to my youthful job seeker, but the phone has yet to ring again.

Public transport? Why would anyone go back to rail when it means your future rides on a fractured, disjointed run down disgrace of a transport service that for years past and many more in the future will continue to disadvantage the already disadvantaged second-class citizens of NSW.

What a disgrace.

Goulburn Labor calls on Goulburn Mulwaree’s members of state and federal parliament to add extractive industries such as oil and gas extraction, coal seam gas, mining, dredging and quarrying to the list of prohibited political donors.

At present prohibited donors include property developers, tobacco industry business entities and liquor or gambling industry business entities and the close associates.

Such donors have in the past, been able to benefit from direct access to people in the ‘right’ places at the ‘right’ times.

We note current unrest concerning the expansion of certain extractive industries without the consideration of rail leading to a situation whereby heavy truck usage may significantly increase on roads that were never meant for such and at an intersection onto the Hume Highway that some say is already unsafe.

Local residents concerned by the situation have approached us and raised their concern that there appears to be a lack of representation on their behalf.

As such we feel that if such a prohibition of political donors was made it would quieten such community sentiment whether rightly earned or not.

We urge both Ms Goward and Mr Taylor to ban political donations from the extractive industries and to promise they will not accept any such donations until a prohibition is in place to allow the community peace of mind.

The Local Land Services is currently at a crossroads.

The upcoming State budget will be a real sign on whether the organisation can survive or collapse under the combined weight of diminished resources and increased workload.

Local Land Services has struggled to meet the substantial expectations of Government since its very inception.

It has operated in an environment where job cuts and restricted resourcing has hindered any desire or ability to complete the tasks set by Government. 

I really feel for the employees of Local Land Services: all good people doing their best in trying and difficult circumstances.

Yet even current and former Board members are speaking out against these cuts.

Front line staff numbers have been slashed while more and more money goes on corporate services. 

Given the additional responsibilities placed on Local Land Services through the biodiversity and biosecurity reforms, a significant boost to funding is needed. 

This Budget must deliver real funding, not simply be a cynical exercise in restoring funding previously cut by this government.

Local Land Services is already starting from a weak financial position.

Minister Blair inherited Local Land Services as a junior Minister. He is now the second-most senior National Party MP in NSW.

This Budget is a real test for the Minister and whether he can deliver the funds needed by Local Land Services to carry out its ever increasing role.