The significance of the byelection isn't lost on me, and I know people want more from their representatives.

That's why I've been holding community meetings in Parkes, Forbes and Orange over the holiday break.

Thank you to the people who attended and for those who helped me fire up the barbecue at each one.

If you weren't able to make it to one of these meetings, more will be happening in the coming months.

My office at 123 Byng Street, Orange is now open, and you can also call on 6362 5199, fax 6361 3922 or email at orange@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

I want to hear from you.

WE all know that roads are a vital lifeline to rural areas and the Central West is no different.

The floods last year hit parts of this electorate hard and the Newell Highway was cut west of Forbes, as well as other places.

In the byelection campaign, the Liberal-National government promised $300 million in spending for the electorate of Orange.

Some $50 million of this was allocated to roads.

I want to see the Newell Highway flood-proofed to keep towns and communities connected, especially when times are tough. 

The volume of road-based freight traffic that passes through this electorate each week is not lost on me.

Our roads need constant attention and repair because of this and I will be fighting for this in Macquarie Street when Parliament resumes.

SINCE 2011 the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party has left no doubt on where we stand on forced council amalgamations.

My upper house colleague Robert Brown made our position clear: “by fair means or foul, we do not support forced council amalgamations anywhere. Not now, not ever”.

The forced merger of Orange, Cabonne and Blayney was at the heart of the Orange byelection result.

It’s a long way from the Central West to Macquarie Street and I know that local government is usually the first port of call for most of us when resolving an issue.

Robert Brown and Robert Borsak – my Upper House colleagues in the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party – will be introducing a bill to negate the entire process used to force council mergers of the Government does not listen to the community.

There may be hope though. 

Recently premier Gladys Berejiklian and deputy premier John Barilaro have softened their rhetoric in favour of mergers.

The Orange byelection seems to have made them take notice of the community's needs, even though there has been some criticism on Mr Barilaro not fighting to the same degree against other mergers closer to his own electorate.

I won't be abandoning this fight until we have certainty that Orange City Council, Cabonne Shire Council and Blayney Shire Council can remain as they are - with no retribution from State government in terms of funding cuts or regulatory changes.

Together we can keep our local government local.