Steph Cooke MP
Member for Cootamundra

Steph Cooke MP with Paul Best (Mayor), Matthew Sykes (GM Weddin Shire), Sean Haylan (GM Destination NSW Central West), Belinda Power (HLF President) and committee members at the Henry Lawson Monument, Grenfell. The Henry Lawson Festival has received a major boost, with the iconic Grenfell event awarded $30,000 per year for three years through the Regional Event Fund 2026. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the funding was a significant win for Grenfell and a reflection

Steph Cooke MP at the Seniors Week High Tea in Cowra (2026) Applications are now open for the 2027 NSW Seniors Festival Program with a share of $200,000 available to support events and celebrate older people and communities across the state. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke is encouraging local councils, community groups and organisations across the electorate to apply for the funding to host their event in 2027. The 2027 Seniors Festival will run from March 1 to 14 wit

Monday, 6 July 2026 Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke MP has welcomed a $2 million NSW Government investment for Freeman Vineyards in Young to establish the state’s first dealcoholisation facility. The facility will position the Hilltops region as a national leader in the rapidly growing non-alcoholic wine market. “This is a landmark investment for Freeman Vineyard and the Hilltops wine region, cementing our reputation as a centre for agricultural innovation and premiu

Bruce Howard of Young has been recognised for more than 42 years of dedicated service to NSW Ambulance, with Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke presenting him with the NSW Government Service Medallion. Mr Howard joined the NSW Ambulance Service on 15 October 1979, beginning a remarkable career that would see him attend countless callouts, save lives, support families on their worst days, and serve his local community with extraordinary commitment. “I was a paramedic in Young

Tuesday, 30 June 2026 With construction on the Temora Hospital Redevelopment progressing, Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke welcomed the opportunity to see how the project is taking shape. Murrumbidgee Local Health District, hospital staff, project stakeholders and Temora Local Health Advisory Committee gathered on Monday June 29 for a Construction Progress Celebration Afternoon Tea. The event celebrated the completion of all eight concrete slab pours for the new eastern

​​Tuesday, 30 June 2026​ The Cootamundra Turf Club has officially unveiled the newly named ‘John Barnes’ Grandstand, recognising one of the district's most influential pioneers as part of the Club's 150th anniversary celebrations. The naming of the grandstand honours the legacy of John Barnes, the Club's inaugural President in 1876, whose vision and leadership helped shape both the Club and the wider community. The event also celebrated the successful restoration of the

The Minns Labor Government’s final Budget has delivered continued funding for major health projects across the Cootamundra Electorate, but little investment in the new projects local communities have been fighting for. The Cootamundra Electorate joins regional and rural NSW communities in being short-changed, with critical infrastructure priorities outside Greater Sydney once again overlooked. Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, said the Budget was a disappointing result

Three remarkable local women have been recognised for their outstanding volunteer contributions, with Fiona Rynehart and Alicia White of Junee, and Jane Wilson of Young named on the 2025 NSW Hidden Treasures Honour Roll. The Honour Roll was established in 2010 to celebrate the vital role women and girls play in strengthening regional, rural and remote communities across New South Wales through volunteer service. The three women were nominated by their peers in recognition