Federal Member for Grey, Tom Venning, and Liberal candidate for Stuart, Leon Stephens, have called out the State Government for leaving the outback township of Coober Pedy behind; and committed to championing the town’s issues in Canberra.

Coober Pedy is facing mounting challenges, but Mr Venning and, Mr Stephens have a plan for Coober Pedy and are calling on the State and Federal Governments to deliver; ‘PLANS NOT PROMISES’

1. A genuinely funded State-Federal taskforce for Coober Pedy to deliver:
   • – Upgraded water and electricity infrastructure, and transparency by the State Government on costs, timelines and subsidies.
   • – Restoration of elected local government in Coober Pedy as soon as feasible, the community must have a voice.
2. Commonwealth funding tied to training and employment programs in the town: ensuring that local youth can access trade training, opal cutting, tourism operations and other local-industry opportunities.
3. Secure air services and upgrade of the airport to maintain connectivity, plus targeted support for outback roads to keep station access viable and local pastoralists and businesses open.
4. Strengthening volunteer and emergency services in Coober Pedy: recruitment pathways, incentives and dedicated funding to retain essential personnel.
5. A clear plan to hold the State Government to account for the delays, particularly the financial plan to exit council administration and the water-infrastructure strategy. The community must know the timeline and details.
6. A fairer cost base for residents: remote living should not equate to paying three times more for water or being subject to utility practices deemed unjust by the ombudsman.

Coober Pedy is more than just a tourist town; it’s a regional Australian icon doing its best in a tough environment. It’s a symbol of what happens when remote communities fall between the cracks: high costs, declining services, community fatigue, and decline.

Tom Venning, Member for Grey said, “Coober Pedy shows us that when governments treat remote communities as afterthoughts, the social, economic and human consequences mount.”

“The people of Coober Pedy deserve plans, not promises, and I am committed, as is my colleague Leon Stephens, to advocating for real solutions for the people here.”

“The time for words is over; someone needs to step in and deliver a clear pathway for Coober Pedy. The people, and the towns contribution to the state deserves better. Remote Australia should not be a backyard for neglect.”

“This is a great town, the hospitality on this trip has been so warm. I would hate for a series of bad decisions by government to result in that great soul being stripped away.”

Leon Stephens, Candidate for Stuart said, “We aren’t just here for a photo-op. We are committed to taking Coober Pedy’s fight to Adelaide and Canberra to force a real plan, not another raft of reviews.”

“People here are so resilient, they are dealing with something they do not deserve. There are great opportunities for exporting opals, some of the best people in the world are here to teach young locals about presentation and grading.”

“This community wants to get on with it, but they are being tied up by red tape. There are so many opportunities, not just opals, but tourism, remote education, and more.”

“Seeing the recent auditor-general report showing the $285.2 million wastage on hydrogen in Whyalla makes me sick. Especially when you think of what a fraction of that money could do in a town like Coober Pedy in the way of essential services.”

Local resident John Di Donna is Chairperson of the Coober Pedy Community Alliance, a Ratepayer and Resident Group that is committed to helping local residents navigate through the remaining years of unnecessary administration.

John said, “We are nearly at the end of this 8 year Administration fiasco, where we have witnessed a collection of revolving door public servants,  tragically turning our essential services into a FIFO situation designed for bureaucratic convenience.

“We are relieved to finally see the March 2026 State elections looming, where we will experience a change in electoral boundaries. This change will bring about a new local member for Coober Pedy and the outback areas around us. We are hoping to see more of a commitment to remote areas in the years ahead than we have seen for a very long time.”

“We would like to thank Tom Venning and Leon Stephens for taking the time to visit our town and sit down and listen to us, the people. The seat of Stuart will become a very large area, and while we are looking forward to being in Stuart, we understand the travel implications.”

“As you have all noted, Administration has proved gut-wrenching for the locals who have watched the steady stream of potentially well-intended public servants come into our town and bypass the needs of the community, for nearly 8 years now. We have watched our town become a ghetto on Administrative watch. We have seen our Water asset deteriorate amid extravagant and wasteful spending. We have watched our community become divided as the public servants seek comfort and advice in a fabricated clique, that gives an outward appearance of ‘togetherness’ and feigned consultation to a detached minister for local government. This has been a costly exercise in many ways and must cease.”

“The council and the state must stop funding this fantasy, and start addressing the neglect and decline of our community’s infrastructure. Leave the important decisions for this town to decide when we resume council. We may well be better off with the support of dedicated local members than in the hands of FIFO public servants that clearly want the pay packet, but do not want to be here. The FIFO style and all of it’s demands on our community, including a special, modern place to stay in, must cease. Communities need stability; this is not a mining camp!” Further to this article being published and other community advocacy measures taken, the council has formerly advised that the consultancy work of Coober Pedy Together Group facilitator, Mr Michael Edgecomb, would conclude on Friday 31 October 2025.

“We have watched important issues like uncontrolled crime, appropriate medical services and aged care, slip off into the background again. Despite the spending on external helpers, the town has crumbled under State Government supervision. It is high time we did a ‘stock-take’ of these external services placing extra demands on our ratepayers non-existent resources”. We are tired of the secretiveness, the nastiness, the gossiping, the targeting of local residents, particularly a whistleblower, and we are tired of the unwarranted superiority. We want our town back, and we want it back “untouched”.

“The government and their appropriate departments must clean up all of the risk factors (crime) in our town pronto, so that it is safe to live in and move around in. Further more before public servants and their agents decide to modify our town to suit their purpose, speak with the longer term locals and their established community groups. Tell us, what you think is not up to your particular standard, and we will look into it for you. Administration is a flawed, failed and damaging exercise and needs to go as soon as possible.”