Melburnians won’t be forced to pay more for water as a result of unnecessary orders from the Victorian Desalination Plant under an elected Liberals and Nationals government. Despite above-average rainfalls this year during La Nina seasonal conditions, the Labor Government has spent $76.7 million in 2021-22 ordering a massive 125GL of desal water. Shadow Minister…
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Nationals Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy is disappointed to hear that despite recent calls for urgent assistance to regional ambulance and triple zero services, 12 Victorians have died this year waiting for an ambulance. In Parliament Mr McCurdy said, “This is just a disgrace. Since my last discussion on this topic I’ve…
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Last week in Parliament Nationals Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy highlighted the lack of investment and desperately needed upgrades for regional hospitals in our smaller country towns across the Ovens Valley. In Parliament Mr McCurdy said, “The 2019-2020 Budget estimates around $630.6 million dollars has been allocated towards small rural services across Victoria.…
DetailsThe Greens, Labor and Independents have joined forces in the Legislative Council to defeat amendments from the Liberals and Nationals that would have given the Native Timber Industry more protection from illegal protestors and green lawfare. Victoria is already seeing the closure of sawmills due to a lack of timber and this legislation does…
DetailsLocal Richmond families and students continue to be placed in harm’s way by Labor’s failing Medically Supervised Injecting Centre. Confirmation that a local resident has found a significant quantity of heroin outside their front gate is the another alarming wake-up call of the dangers faced by the local community. Concerningly, the heroin was…
DetailsChronic labour shortages are causing huge issues for business, industry and workers right across Gippsland. The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien told Parliament this week that everywhere he goes he is hearing the struggles of small, medium and large businesses who are unable to find staff. Mr O’Brien raised the matter in State…
DetailsYoung first homebuyers fear they’ll be locked out of the property market forever due to high costs and ever-growing government charges. New data released today by the Property Council of Australia found two-third of Victorians fear they’ll never be able to buy “because the cost is so high”. According to CoreLogic, house prices in north-west…
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Legislation for on-the-spot fines for farm trespass has finally passed state parliament after two years of delay by the Andrews Government. Amendments to double the maximum fine for illegal farm invasion and close a loophole on licensed river frontages have been blocked by Labor, the Greens and Independent MPs. The Nationals proposed two amendments to…
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Amendments to double the maximum fine for illegal farm invasion have been blocked in Victorian Parliament by Labor, Greens and Independent MPs. The Liberals and Nationals proposed two amendments to the Livestock Management Amendment (Animal Activism) Bill 2021 to double the maximum fine for individuals in line with New South Wales’ hefty penalty scheme –…
DetailsThe Victorian Nationals have stopped an attempt from the Andrews Labor Government to simultaneously hide changes impacting regional communities and axe an important source of revenue for local newspapers. Labor’s Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2022, introduced in Victorian Parliament in February, would have removed the requirement for state departments and councils to inform communities…
DetailsNew data from Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute shows large gaps in the provision of childcare across rural and regional communities, including the Euroa electorate. The study, which classifies communities as a childcare ‘desert’ or an ‘oasis’, depending on the availability of care, shows most local communities are a desert with either no childcare service or…
DetailsMany communities in regional Victoria are “highly under-serviced” by public transport, with flow on effects to liveability acting as a handbrake on potential population growth, a new report has found. Infrastructure Australia released the 2022 Regional Strengths and Infrastructure Gaps report last week, shining a light on the poor state of transport infrastructure across regional…
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