Media Releases

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, yesterday moved a Notice of Motion in Parliament condemning the Brumby Government on its unjust Liquor Licensing fee hikes.

“Despite an enormous ground swell of opposition to the tax, which will have a devastating impact on small clubs and organisations, the Brumby Government has only given lip-service to the calls for a review of the legislation,” Mr Walsh said.

“In moving the Notice of Motion I brought to the attention of Parliament the plight of one of the small sporting clubs in my electorate which has been hard hit by the tax hike.

“The Watchem Bowling Club, which has only 16 members, made an operating loss in excess of $2000 last year and, like many others in a similar position, submitted an application for fee relief.

“Despite clearly demonstrating their eligibility in meeting the hardship requirements set out by the Brumby Government they still have been hit with a 220% increase in their Liquor Licence Fee.

 “The entire exercise of clubs and small businesses receiving an opportunity to claim a waiver or reduction in their fee has proven to be a cynical exercise by this Government,” Mr Walsh said.

“The history of these clubs and businesses overwhelmingly demonstrates responsible serving of alcohol with the main purpose of holding a liquor licence being to provide a service to the local community.

“In condemning the Brumby Government on its ill-thought through legislation I call upon the Premier to reconsider his attitude to small clubs and businesses in country Victoria and make a legitimate attempt to resolve the issues of violence in metropolitan Melbourne and some large regional centres through more appropriate means,” Mr Walsh said.

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The cost of decommissioning Lake Mokoan has almost doubled, a report tabled by the Victorian Auditor-General in State Parliament today shows.

 Shadow Minister for Country Water Resources and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said the report

Irrigation Water Stores: Lake Mokoan and Tarago Reservoir revealed the Brumby Government had presided over a $50 million cost blowout in the project.

 "The Brumby Government cannot be trusted to manage Victoria’s water resources," Mr Walsh said.

"Not only has the cost of decommissioning Lake Mokoan blown out from $59 million to $108 million, but the Auditor-General found the local community has been ignored in the process.

"Labor’s arrogant treatment of protesters is typical of the style we’ve come to expect from John Brumby. It took 20 months just to establish an effective governance framework for the project."

Mr Walsh said the Brumby Government’s self congratulatory back slapping for maintaining the reliability of water supply for irrigators was also misleading.

"The reality is the Brumby Government purchased water rights and cancelled them, leaving the region with less water and fewer producers," Mr Walsh said.

"The price of water supply for remaining entitlement holders is also expected to increase by about 480 per cent, from $10 a megalitre to $58 a megalitre.

"At least part of this increase is directly attributable to Labor’s decision to decommission Lake Mokoan."

Mr Walsh said the price rise was not consistent with a commitment the government gave irrigators at the beginning of the project.

In a letter to the Victorian Farmers Federation about the Mokoan project, Labor promised:

‘the Government will not support any proposal that would impose a level of charges above that which would apply otherwise, and which was unacceptable to the group of irrigation customers’.

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Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, has welcomed the guarantee by the Department of Transport to continue operating the threatened Marnoo Primary School bus.

“Earlier this year, following a review by the Department of Transport, the school was advised that it would lose the services of the school bus at the end of Term 1,” Mr Walsh said.

“This meant that the six children, some as young as five years of age, who travel to the Marnoo Primary School by bus would need to catch a secondary school bus to either Stawell or Donald to attend school.

“This would have left only six children at the Marnoo School and, thus, threaten its existence as such small numbers would inevitably lead to the school’s closure,” Mr Walsh said.

“Considering there has been $350,000 spent on upgrading the school over the past 18 months plus the enormous amount of time, money and energy that the local community have invested in their school, this would have been a disastrous outcome,” he said.

“My office has received in excess of 60 letters and emails from very concerned members of the school and the Marnoo community regarding this very real possibility and the devastating effect this would have on the entire district,” Mr Walsh said.

“Following my representations to the Department of Transport and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) there has been agreement to waive the cessation order until the end of 2010.

“This will give the school and community the opportunity to investigate possible options to ensure the continuation of the bus service into 2011 and beyond.

“I congratulate the Marnoo community on their proactive response to a very real threat to their future and look forward to working with them to ensure this threat is addressed in the longer term,” Mr Walsh said.

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Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, is encouraging community organisations in the electorate to apply for the 2010 Positive Body Image Grants.

“Youth are our investment in the future and the Positive Body Image Grants of up to $5000 are for projects to promote healthy lifestyle choices and promote a positive body image in young people,” Mr Walsh said.

“The Grants are available to organisations undertaking activities which promote positive body image to young people particularly aged between 12-16 years.

“The projects should encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Young people’s health and wellbeing are vital to their success in remaining engaged in their communities,” Mr Walsh said.

The Positive Body Image Grants will support projects that promote positive body image messages such as skill development for young people in leadership, mentoring, information and peer support; programs that recognize different concerns of young people; activities that stimulate young people to build awareness of positive body image; and practical programs to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

Mr Walsh said priority would be given to projects that involve young people from diverse communities and target those at risk of developing a negative body image.

“The Positive Body Grants aim to help increase self-esteem and confidence in young people while demonstrating a youth participation approach in the development, delivery and evaluation of the project,” he explained.

Mr Walsh said partnerships between young people supported by a community organisation such as a community or neighbourhood house, secondary school, local government, health centre or youth service would be encouraged.

“Of course, leading a healthy and active lifestyle not only helps with wellbeing but healthy eating and physical exercise all help to reinforce positive body image,” Mr Walsh said.

“From my visits to many schools throughout the Swan Hill electorate I am aware of how important it is to young people’s self esteem to feel fit, be active and have a sense of belonging through involvement in activities which are healthy lifestyle choices,” Mr Walsh said.

Applications for Positive Body Image Grants 2010 must be submitted by Monday 22nd March. For further information and application forms visit website: www.grants.dpcd.vic.gov.au or contact Mr Walsh’s office on 50323154.

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The Brumby Government’s failure to plan for appropriate water infrastructure has led to a series of ill-conceived projects such as the north-south pipeline, a report released by Engineers Australia shows today.

 Shadow Minister for Country Water Resources and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said the report was a damning assessment of the Brumby Government’s performance across key areas of water infrastructure including potable water, stormwater, wastewater and irrigation.

"The report shows Labor failed to act on the water crisis or to address ongoing water restrictions until it was too late," Mr Walsh said.

"Taxpayers are now forking out millions of dollars for expensive and unnecessary projects because John Brumby failed to plan for the state’s water needs.

"Worse still, Engineers Australia believes planning to achieve major changes in water supply and use is still not evident, meaning additional desalination plants may be needed in the future."

In a series of forthright criticisms, the report found:

• The Wonthaggi desalination plant may not have been needed if other sources of water supply had been pursued seriously since the 1990s; 

 • The best value water solution may not have been selected in several major water augmentation projects; 

 • The government should have implemented a state-wide urban stormwater strategy; 

• The government’s failure to find uses for billions of litres of Class-A recycled water from the Eastern Treatment Plant is a waste of valuable water; and 

• Water savings from irrigation projects may have been over-estimated.

Mr Walsh said the report backed the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition’s calls for increased use of stormwater.

"This report confirms that Labor’s water policies have been wasteful," Mr Walsh said.

"John Brumby has spent millions of dollars on the north-south pipeline and the Wonthaggi desalination plant when he could have harvested stormwater from Melbourne’s own catchment."

Mr Walsh said the report also validated concerns that the Brumby Government had overstated the water savings available from its irrigation projects.

"This report confirms that the Brumby Government cannot be trusted to manage Victoria’s water," Mr Walsh said.

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John Brumby and Agriculture Minister Joe Helper must reject completely the Federal Government’s plan to scrap drought assistance, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said today.

 Mr Walsh said Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke had yesterday announced his intentions to do away with interest subsidies for drought-affected primary producers.

"This is a clear indication that Labor is on the verge of scrapping drought assistance altogether," Mr Walsh said.

"Thousands of Victorian producers, small businesses and jobs will go to the wall if John Brumby and Joe Helper do not completely reject the plan proposed by their Labor mates."

Mr Walsh said Mr Burke had misrepresented the extent of the drought by stating that subsidies penalised farmers who used the good times to pay off debt.

"After more than 10 years of drought, poor government water policy and difficult international markets, even the best farmers are in difficult financial straits," Mr Walsh said.

"Without aid to overcome these difficult conditions, many Victorian farmers in Exceptional Circumstances-declared areas will not be able to secure the finance to buy feed for their livestock or seed to plant this year’s crops."

Mr Walsh said Mr Burke was completely out of touch with regional Victoria if he believed the argument for drought support was won or lost on the economic viability of individual farmers.

"This is not just about the prosperity of primary producers; it’s about food security and the competitiveness of our entire state," Mr Walsh said.

"Few farmers actually want government assistance but many have little choice when drought and the government’s grab for water is ripping the heart out of regional Victoria.

"The Brumby Government must immediately reject this plan or it too will be complicit in the demise of regional communities."

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Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, is calling for communities to recognise the tireless work and the tremendous contribution volunteers make to our lives.

“Community organisations make an invaluable contribution to our community and this is an opportunity to nominate an organisation which has displayed outstanding leadership in volunteering, and also volunteers who have helped to do amazing things,” Mr Walsh said.

“Our electorate is full of people who volunteer in a whole range of areas such as community health, environmental conservation, sport, emergency services, charities, local community associations or clubs and schools. These people get great satisfaction from the work they do in providing assistance to others.”

Mr Walsh said volunteers were essential to society and many charities and organisations would struggle to survive without the support of their volunteers.

Nominations are now open for the:

·           Community Volunteering Achievement Award

·           Community Volunteering Leadership Award

·           Young People’s Community Participation Award

·           Community Volunteering New Technology Award

“Our volunteers are the backbone of our community and I congratulate them on their energy, selflessness and the tireless work they do for the betterment of the community.  I encourage people to apply for the Premier’s Community Volunteering Awards,” Mr Walsh said.

Further details are available from the Awards website at;- www.awardsaustralia.com/pcva   or call 1800 092 032.

Nominations close on Wednesday March 24th so be quick and nominate an organisation you believe deserves to win.  Prizes of $5,000 will go to support the work of winners in each category.

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