State Nationals MP for Clarence Richie Williamson has backed the Health Services Amendment (Right to Primary Health Care) Bill 2026 in the NSW Parliament, saying people in the Richmond and Clarence valleys, and across regional and rural NSW, should not face greater barriers to basic health care because of where they live.
The bill, introduced by Independent MP for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr, would make it a formal responsibility of rural and regional local health districts to ensure residents have appropriate and timely access to face-to-face primary health care services.
Williamson said the legislation addressed an issue that communities across the Clarence electorate experience every day.
“Where people live should not determine the quality or accessibility of the health care they receive,” Williamson said.
He said the issue was particularly significant in the Clarence electorate, which spans more than 16,000 square kilometres and includes many smaller communities where access to health services can be limited.
“In my speech I spoke about elderly residents who can no longer drive to appointments, parents managing the cost and time of travel for a child with a chronic illness, and people in small communities who simply need access to a doctor close to home,” he said.
“I am thinking of small outlying villages in my electorate, including Wooli, Minnie Water on the coast, Coutts Crossing, Copmanhurst, Rappville and Coraki.”
Williamson said pressures on regional health care were reflected across the electorate’s three public hospitals — Grafton Base Hospital, Maclean District Hospital and Casino and District Memorial Hospital.
“Grafton Base Hospital is about to undergo a major redevelopment, which I strongly support and will continue advocating for,” he said.
“We also have Maclean District Hospital, where significant improvements are needed, and Casino and District Memorial Hospital, which continues to punch well above its weight in supporting local communities.
“These facilities and their staff do an incredible job, but they are operating in a system that is under enormous pressure.
“Emergency departments, GP services and ambulance services are under stress like never before.”
Williamson said the bill would strengthen accountability for access to primary health care and help ensure regional communities remained a priority in health service planning.
“People in regional NSW are not asking for special treatment; they are simply asking for fair treatment,” he said.
“They deserve timely access to primary health care and a health system that works for them, regardless of their postcode.”
Williamson’s full speech is available in the NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard for 4 June 2026.
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