Scott Morrison, Gladys Berejiklian to headline Bush Summit in Griffith

The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit is gearing up for Griffith with an expanded agenda in its bid drive change and growth in regional and rural NSW.

The Daily Telegraph’s bush summit is revving up once more with a bigger agenda and a grander cast of characters to drive change and growth in the bush.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will lead a powerhouse group of political, business and community leaders meeting in Griffith in the NSW Riverina for the third annual Bush Summit.

In just two years The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit has become a crucial event on the calendar for leaders to brainstorm and drive transformative change in regional NSW.

Daily Telegraph editor Ben English and Prime Minister Scott Morrison at last year’s Bush Summit in Cooma. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “The success of the Bush Summit speaks for itself in the change it’s been able to drive for our regions.”

The first Summit in Dubbo was held in the depths of the crippling drought and drove the agenda on water security and ‘Right to Farm’ legislation to protect farmers from activists.

Last year’s Summit in Cooma was one of the first in-person COVID-safe meetings in Australia and highlighted the need for future energy security including the Narrabri Gas Project which was then approved.

“The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit has rightly become a focus point for governments and communities to come together, identify what we need to work together on, and then to get on and get it done,” Mr Morrison said.

The Federal Government’s spending in the bush includes almost $330 million to help farmers find new export markets and a $10 billion water grid to drought proof the regions.

“The regions are at the centre of my government’s National Economic Recovery Plan and the pandemic and the recovery present a chance for us to take advantage of new opportunities,” Mr Morrison said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian will also be returning for the third Bush Summit. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The Daily Telegraph editor Ben English said: “The first Bush Summit came when country Australia was on its knees from a crippling drought. But even then The Daily Telegraph recognised that the regions were key to the country’s prosperity.

“I am extremely proud that this event has become a fixture on the political and thought leadership calendar and that we have put the future prosperity of rural and regional Australia firmly at the forefront of policy formation,” he said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “It is great to see the Bush Summit return for a third year.”

She said it was fitting that the summit was being held in Griffith where foresight and investment more than 100 years ago helped create a food bowl for NSW. Similar thought and investment were required to help NSW out of the pandemic today.

“As part of that recovery we’re investing more money than ever before in regional roads, with $8 billion in the last Budget alone for regional transport and roads,” she said.

“We’re taking on upgrades of regional highways across the State, with investments into the Great Western, Princes, Silver City, Cobb, Newell, Sturt, Olympic, Golden, and Barton highways.

“Meanwhile, $1 billion is being deployed to help regional councils fix local roads and timber bridges, all of which also creates thousands of jobs.”