Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson is encouraging more members of the local community sign the important Save the Regional Seniors Travel Card petition.

Mr Anderson said the petition to save the $250 travel card had hit a chord with more than 1,400 local’s seniors signing the petition.

“I know how important the Regional Seniors Travel Card is for our local seniors, which is why I’ve been working hard to get the word out about our petition by sending letters to more than 7,000 seniors in the region,” Mr Anderson said.

“It’s incredible that more than 1,400 of seniors in the Tamworth electorate have now signed our petition, representing the strongest response from any electorate in regional NSW.

“That tells me that we need to keep going, ensuring we get as many signatures as possible to convince Labor not to cut the card in their September budget.

Applications for the card were put on hold in July, meaning no more seniors could take advantage of the cost-saving scheme while the cost-of-living crisis continues. On Saturday, Labor announced a 4c per litre reduction in fuel for seniors at United service stations.

“Labor’s announcement over the weekend pales in comparison to the savings made under the Regional Seniors Travel Card,” Mr Anderson added.

“Your average driver would save around $2.40 each time they fill the tank under this scheme. This means our seniors would need to fill their tank more than 100 times per year to match savings under the Regional Seniors Travel Card – that’s twice a week.

“Not only that, but there’s only one United Service Station in the entirety of the Tamworth electorate, and I hardly think someone is going to travel from Barraba to Tamworth to access the discount.

“I have real concerns that Labor are attempting to use this announcement to justify cutting the card, leaving our seniors worse off while many are struggling to make ends meet.”

NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders labelled the announcement ‘laughable’, adding that the Regional Seniors Travel Card made a real difference in the lives of local seniors.

“For Labor to pass this off as a genuine cost-of-living measure for seniors is laughable. They should keep the Regional Seniors Travel Card because it was a good program that made a meaningful difference to the lives of elderly residents in our regional communities,” Mr Saunders said.

To sign the petition, people are urged to visit the website www.savethetravelcard.com.au and follow the prompts.