LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

Local councils covered by the federal electorate of New England have joined forces to launch a new public safety initiative.

Mayors of five councils have announced a joint program to replace all benches in public spaces within their boundaries with bespoke models featuring built-in seat belts. (main picture)

The replacement program, costing an as-yet unspecified cost, will be rolled out as soon as possible by the Tamworth Regional Council, and the Tenterfield, Upper Hunter, Inverell, and Glenn Innes Severn shire councils.

A spokesperson for the five mayors said the new program was a pre-emptive move designed to save money if the current MP for New England, Barnaby Joyce, decides to stand down from or is dismissed from the Coalition Opposition’s shadow cabinet.

“Barnaby is currently the Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs,” the spokesperson said. “That keeps him fairly busy and involves a lot of travel around the nation.

“But if at any time he is no longer a frontbencher, that means he’ll be spending a lot more time in his electorate which elevates the risk of him falling off a bench in any of the council areas within his electorate.

“The five mayors recently met and decided that they needed to be ready for that eventuality and recognised that they all have a duty of care to Barnaby.

“They also acknowledged that they need to lower the legal liability they may face if he does get totally perindaveyed while on medication and takes a tumble from a bench,” the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Mr Joyce said the former deputy prime minister and Nationals’ leader was unavailable for comment.

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