The Andrews Government has disgracefully abandoned 260 workers at Australian Sustainable Hardwoods’ Heyfield mill by failing to guarantee a viable timber supply. Labor’s half-baked offer to purchase the mill at the 11th hour again confirms Daniel Andrews has no problem playing political games with Victorian jobs. Instead, Daniel Andrews has chosen green preferences over real…
An elected Liberal Nationals government would be committed to keeping jobs in the Latrobe Valley. Unemployment was up 50 per cent in the past two years in the Valley, even before 750 people lost their job at Hazelwood Power Station in March. Wood processor Carter Holt Harvey yesterday flagged closure of its Morwell sawmill which…
Country Victorians will get the vital investments they need after the Federal Liberal Nationals Government delivered for the projects that Daniel Andrews refuses to fund. Investments in rail and road infrastructure projects in regional Victoria and new agriculture initiatives for our primary producers were welcome commitments in Tuesday’s Federal Budget. The $8bn inland freight rail…
Daniel Andrews has abandoned Gippsland’s Federation Training at a time when a strong and stable training system has never been more important to the Latrobe Valley. Skills and Training Minister Gayle Tierney tabled TAFE annual reports on Tuesday, minutes before the 2017-18 Victorian State Budget was announced. For the second year in a row Federation…
The Nationals MPs Danny O’Brien and Melina Bath have congratulated the South Gippsland community on a successful campaign to ‘dump the dump’ at Leongatha South. Mr O’Brien and Ms Bath joined community campaigners at the site after news that multinational waste firm Veolia had abandoned any plans it had to pursue the proposed rubbish dump…
Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan announced a $1.45 billion regional rail package on Sunday, but have refused to spend a cent of state government money. The media stunt, which has no plan, no business case and no funding, was badged as a ‘huge investment’. Just two years ago, Daniel Andrews claimed a business case was…
The Murray Basin Rail Project – a critical project proudly driven by Victoria’s National Party – passed another milestone this week with official signoff of the Federal Government’s $220 million contribution. Federal Infrastructure Minister and The Nationals Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester this week approved the Commonwealth’s $220 million contribution which will secure the…
The Resources Legislation Amendment (Fracking Ban) Bill 2016 will pass Parliament. In 2012 the Liberal Nationals Government announced a gas moratorium and in 2015 we committed to an extension of the existing onshore gas moratorium until 30 June 2020. The Liberal Nationals support the ban on fracking. Indeed, fracking has never occurred under a Liberal…
Background The Legislative Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee handed down the final report for the Inquiry into the Domestic Animals Amendment (Puppy Farms and Pet Shops) Bill 2016 today. Among 18 recommendations and one finding were: that consultation with relevant stakeholders in regard to this Bill was inadequate and that it should be withdrawn by…
A report released today by SGS Economic and Planning has shown that regional Victoria’s economy shrank by 1 per cent in 2015-16, making it the only area in all of Australia to have its economy go backwards. Shadow Minister for Regional Development Tim McCurdy said “regional Victoria is going backwards under Daniel Andrews and his…
The Andrews Labor Government are hiding the extent of Victoria’s training crisis, failing to release the half-yearly update on the state of our TAFE and training sector. Steve Herbert’s time-keeping skills are on par with his dismal record-keeping skills. We are nearly to the end of the year and have no idea of the state…
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford today failed to explain why the State Government’s long-promised plan for hunting in Victoria is not being released. In question time today, The Nationals’ new Member for Northern Victoria Luke O’Sullivan asked Minister Pulford to explain the five month delay in the release of the Sustainable Hunting Action Plan. Field and…