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It is now nearly two weeks since I visited Newcastle and Maitland following the recent disastrous storms and floods in that part of New South Wales.

At the time I was shocked to see the amount of damage caused to property and appreciate that the road to recovery will involve a lot of hard work, some heartache and most likely take a long time.  But I was also impressed with the way in which individuals and communities looked after one another in such difficult circumstances.

You may be interested to know that the Governor-General of the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Sir Nathaniel Waena, wrote to me yesterday expressing his concern and sympathy about the recent flood damage.  I have assured Sir Nathaniel that I will pass his good wishes on to all the communities affected.

As the long process of cleaning up and recovery continues, the communities of Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and the Central Coast are in my thoughts. 

My wife Marlena and I wish you well for the future.




(Michael Jeffery)