Media Releases

A project to help small rural towns in the Loddon Mallee region attract and retain young families is being supported with $30,000 in Victorian Government funding announced by Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan.
Mr Ryan said the Operation Next Gen project would research and trial a model of program delivery in the Buloke, Loddon and Gannawarra shires to help small rural towns to become more entrepreneurial and foster a positive environment to create a wider range of career paths for young people in rural areas.
Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, expressed his strong support for the program and his pleasure with the funding grant.
“All three of these shires are having issues with maintaining their population base,” Mr Walsh said.
“This is going to become worse with traditional agricultural communities facing significant chalenges as a result of the Murray Darling Basin recommendations.
“Operation Next Gen is part of the Coalition Government’s strong focus on revitalising small rural communities and supporting them to develop strategies to respond to changing environments,” he said.
The project will help three selected rural communities – one within each shire – to better understand youth perceptions of working in rural areas and the longer-term social and economic impacts.
It will also help to identify strategies to encourage and support retention and attraction of young families within these areas
“The project will develop an action plan for small rural communities to engage with young people and support alternate career paths, an online youth survey template and a practical and effective template for community discussions and workshops,” Mr Ryan said.
“This will result in a clearly defined, costed structural and operational plan for use in other rural communities.
“This will hopefully lead to increased retention of young people, increased employment and career opportunities and increased productivity and innovation in rural businesses.”
The funding will be provided to Community Leadership Loddon Murray through the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund’s Putting Locals First Program.
“Putting Locals First is a $100 million initiative that enables regional communities to devise and deliver service and infrastructure responses that reflect local priorities,” Mr Ryan said.
“It is supporting stronger and more sustainable regional communities by building their capacity to drive development in their region.”
The Operation Next Gen project is expected to be completed in April 2013.

Dear Sir,

Much has been said in recent times in regard to the iniquitous and unfair Fire Services Levy.
When the Coalition was elected to Government in Victoria we promised to replace it with a fairer, more equitable property based levy in 2013.
The Government’s timelines made it clear that the 2012-13 year is a transition year. The Government will be working with the industry to ensure the FSL is administered fairly during this period.
In the meantime, I urge all insurance policy holders to check their insurance renewals carefully. The Government has not increased the Fire Services Levy that is included in your premium.
In fact, in the recent budget there is a reduction of 9.6% in the amount required to fund the insurance contribution to our fire brigades.
The charges being made for the Fire Services Levy differs between insurance companies. Any increase in the percentage they are charging is a decision of the individual insurance company.
Ask your insurance company to explain any increase and, if you are not satisfied with their response, consult with other companies.
You as the consumer, have the power, utilise this when renewing your insurance policy.

The Victorian Flood Recovery Employment Program (FREP) has seen 1,483 hectares of weeds controlled, 31,000 new plants for revegetation, and the construction, repair or removal of 123 kilometres of fencing in flood-affected areas.
The $6.15 million Victorian Coalition Government program has been a huge success, creating 150 part-time jobs across six flood-affected regions of the state.
Minister for Water Peter Walsh and Treasurer Kim Wells were in Castlemaine today to congratulate those involved with the FREP and launch a DVD celebrating the program’s social and environmental achievements.
Mr Walsh said the floods of 2010-11 caused significant damage across much of Victoria and the FREP had provided vital employment for food and fibre producers and other rural workers whose jobs were impacted.
“Not only has the Flood Recovery Employment Program given so many people affected by the floods part time work, it has also seen the clean-up and repair of these towns happen more quickly,” Mr Walsh said.
“The program has enabled important skills to be retained within rural communities and provided an income stream to members of these communities while they waited to return to their full-time on-farm employment.”
“Across the state we have more than 150 people participating in the program and I would like to congratulate them along with the Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) for their coordination of the program”, Mr Wells said.
FREP, which is now concluding, involved a partnership program between Victorian State Government departments, including DSE, Parks Victoria, DPI, CMAs, rural water utilities and other agencies.

Many of Victoria’s water authorities today released consultation papers on their draft water plans for public comment, which includes their plans for future investment in water and sewerage infrastructure.
The four-month consultation period will give all Victorians the chance to review their local water plan and proposed water pricing which will cover proposed services and prices for the period from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2018.
Minister for Water Peter Walsh said he strongly encouraged all members of the community to provide comment on the draft plans which will outline the pricing structure for water.
“Victorians have an opportunity to provide their feedback on how much they will pay for their water in the future, and what services will be included in this cost.
“The provision of water services is an important economic infrastructure for households and businesses and the Victorian Government encourages active feedback,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said Melbourne water retailers had proposed price increases of between 19.4 per cent and 21.8 per cent over the five-year period, well down on the doubling of water bills experienced under Labor’s current water plan.
“The steep jump proposed for Melbourne water consumers reflects the heavy impact of building Labor’s desalination plant which will cost $654 million per year before any water is taken,” Mr Walsh said.
“The majority of Victoria’s regional water corporations have proposed small price increases over the next five year period which will now be assessed by their communities and the regulator.
“One external driver for proposed price increases is the impact of the Federal Government’s carbon tax pushing rising energy costs on water corporations’ pumping and water treatment infrastructure,” Mr Walsh said.
Public comment is sought on these plans prior to submission of final Water Plans in September 2012 to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) – the independent price and service standards regulator for the Victorian water industry.
“The ESC, as the independent umpire, will be seeking this customer and stakeholder feedback prior to making its final decisions on pricing,” Mr Walsh said.
“The State Government and the government-owned water utilities are working together to plan and invest in the state’s water needs now and in the future.
“The planned consultation process on the draft water plans is extensive, with water utilities committed to open and transparent discussion and engagement.”
The water plans which are currently in use by Victoria’s water utilities conclude on 30 June 2013.
“I urge all members of the public to play an active role in reviewing their water utility’s plan and submit their thoughts,” Mr Walsh said.

A new purpose built research winery in the Sunraysia region is helping Victorian Coalition Government scientists understand how smoke impacts on grape and wine quality.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh today officially opened the $100,000 winery at the Centre for Expertise in Smoke Taint Research at Irymple, near Mildura.
Mr Walsh said nearly 200 wine varieties would be produced at the winery and tested for smoke taint this year, with the first bottle expected to be ready around August.
“The establishment of the centre fulfills a key election promise to investigate the impact of smoke from fuel reduction burns and bushfires on grape and wine quality,” Mr Walsh said.
Bushfire smoke taint has cost the Victorian grape and wine industries an estimated $300 million in lost production and downgraded quality over the last five years.
Mr Walsh said the research winery would process grapes grown in areas where prescribed burns had been carried out as well as grapes subjected to artificial smoke trials in the laboratory at Mildura.
“The researchers will be testing seven of the major varieties of grapes from regions that may be subjected to smoke by planned burns or bushfire,” Mr Walsh said.
“About 130 wines will be made from grapes taken from vines in the Yarra, King and Ovens valleys over the past season.
“A further 45 wines will be made from grapes subjected to medium or high density smoke in the laboratory. The processed wine will then be tested at various stages throughout its shelf life against a control sample.”
Mr Walsh said scientists would use the results to develop a risk assessment tool to help growers assess the risk of smoke tainting their fruit and the need for smoke taint testing. This could save growers further management and harvest expenses if fruit is badly tainted.
The winery site has been refurbished with new and recycled equipment such as a press, crusher and capper from the former CSIRO wine making facility at Merbein near Mildura. It is comprised of five cool rooms, a wine and special smoke taint laboratory and tasting room.
The winery will also make research wines for commercial clients.

Victoria’s livestock property identification system is being expanded to horticulture to provide a new level of protection against pests and diseases for grape growers in Sunraysia and across the state.
During a visit to Mildura today Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said from the beginning of July, grape growers in Victoria’s northwest would be required to apply for a property identification code (PIC) to help guard against pest and disease outbreaks.
Mr Walsh said the PIC system was being expanded to horticulture as part of a $19.5 million allocation for biosecurity in this year’s State Budget, starting with wine, table and dried grape growers.
“The purpose of the PIC system is partly to assist tracing pests and diseases that may be detected after produce leaves a farm, as well as helping to efficiently locate properties that may be affected by an outbreak that occurs nearby,” Mr Walsh said.
“This kind of traceability system will help to provide domestic and international confidence in our ability to swiftly respond to and control pest and disease outbreaks that could threaten our access to key export markets.
“All livestock producers are required to have a PIC and the system is now being extended to horticulture, with viticulture chosen as the first industry for which PICs will be mandatory.”
Mr Walsh said the horticulture industry had pushed for a property identification system to help minimise the disruptions to plant production and market access caused by pest and disease outbreaks.
“The Coalition is pleased to support the industry by rolling out a PIC scheme, because the cost of responding to pest and disease incursions can be high and a timely response is critical to reduce the impact of the pests and diseases,” Mr Walsh said.
“In the event of an outbreak, the PIC system will enable the Department of Primary Industries to rapidly access property location data and contact owners to limit spread of the outbreak.”
PICs are supported by a new Plant Biosecurity Act which comes into effect on July 1.
“This is significant for all of Victoria, but particularly in the north west which accounts for most of Victoria’s grape production,” Mr Walsh said.

Many Northern Victorian irrigators are seeing the benefits of on-farm water efficiency works thanks to the Farm Water Program and funding from the Victorian Coalition Government.
The program provides funding to help irrigators invest in on-farm irrigation works to achieve water savings - works that otherwise might have taken a lifetime to save for and complete.
Visiting a north Mooroopna property near Shepparton today, Water Minister Peter Walsh said around 96 on-farm projects were already completed.
“Many farmers are already reaping the rewards of the upgrades with maximised production and water savings,” Mr Walsh said.
“At least 18 gigalitres of water savings will be generated as a result of the first round of on-farm irrigation projects, with 50 per cent directed to improve the health of waterways.
“These works show how on a small scale, water could be saved for the environment through works and measures in the Murray-Darling Basin system, rather than stripping farming communities of their water and livelihood.
“The Victorian Government has continually pushed the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to include Basin works and measures in its water savings calculations to achieve end-of-system flows and environmental benefits without taking water from irrigators.
“The revised Basin Plan released yesterday again failed regional communities by not taking this into account.”
Mr Walsh said the Victorian Government would continue to push the Gillard Government to provide funding for environmental works and measures, not buybacks.
A majority of the Farm Water Program works complement the ongoing Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District network modernisation, such as laser grading, fast flow irrigation, pipes and riser systems, channel upgrades, drainage reuse and irrigation scheduling.
“The water savings generated and retained by irrigators represent a reinvestment in their farm business and help to support the entire Goulburn Murray Irrigation District.
“Increased on-farm irrigation efficiency means less water getting to the watertable, reducing the likelihood of waterlogging and land salinisation,” Mr Walsh said.
Projects in the Farm Water Program are delivered through a consortium led by Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority. Round One attracted $21 million from the Australian Government On Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program and the Victorian Government contributed a further $16 million from the Northern Victorian Irrigation Renewal Project.

On 14 March 2012, I issued a Media Release concerning the judgment delivered that day by the Honourable Justice Robert Osborn of the Supreme Court of Victoria in the case of MyEnvironment Inc v VicForests [2012] VSC 91.
The media release alleged that the proceeding was brought by MyEnvironment Inc in bad faith and in an attempt to exert financial pressure on forest industry workers and their families.
I accept that there was no basis for the allegations against MyEnvironment Inc embodied in my media release.
In fact, his Honour Justice Osborn made an express finding that the proceeding was brought in good faith and pursued in the public interest.
I hereby retract my allegation against MyEnvironment Inc and unreservedly apologise to it for any harm or embarrassment which my allegation may have caused.

The Victorian Coalition Government has announced a boost of $9 million for disease surveillance within the state’s red meat industries over the next three years.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said today he had authorised payments of more than $4.6 million from the Cattle Compensation Fund and the Sheep and Goat Compensation Fund for this work. Both are financed by stamp duty on the sale of animals at stockyards.
“This industry contribution will now be matched by government on a dollar for dollar basis, increasing investment in this project to more than $9 million,” Mr Walsh said
“An important new initiative is increasing the number of private veterinarians receiving specialised training in animal disease investigation.
“Food outlets will also be monitored to ensure food scraps containing meat, known as swill, are not being supplied to pig producers.
“Swill feeding of pigs is a high risk activity because of the potential for food scraps to spread diseases including foot and mouth disease (FMD),” Mr Walsh said.
Ongoing initiatives include assisting producers to determine the cause of unexplained death of their livestock, with a particular focus on lambs and kids, and diseases in cattle and sheep that have unusual symptoms.
“Victoria remains free from many pests and diseases that affect livestock production in other parts of the world and this favourable biosecurity status provides significant economic, environmental and community benefits,” Mr Walsh said
“Disease surveillance is critical to ensure Victoria’s livestock sector is well positioned to quickly detect and respond to a disease incursion.”
Mr Walsh said today’s announcement was in addition to the Government’s commitment to biosecurity for the food and fibre sector with a $19.5 million allocation in this year’s Budget, with $9 million over four years for red meat research and development.
“The Victorian Coalition Government is serious about disease surveillance and preparedness, to support our food and fibre producers and ensure that Victoria continues to have access to premium markets across the world,” Mr Walsh said.

Member for Swan Hill Peter Walsh, together with Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, Wendy Lovell, today announced two local early childhood centres will receive funding in the announcement of the Victorian Coalition Government’s record investment in early childhood infrastructure.
The funding, which can be used to upgrade facilities or develop integrated children’s services hubs, is a combination of State and National Partnership funding, incorporating the 2011-12 $26 million grants round, money brought forward from the recently announced $50 million grants round and $4.4 million in internal departmental funds.
Mr Walsh congratulated the centres on their successful applications.
“This is great news for local children, not just now, but well into the future,” Mr Walsh said.
“These grants show just how committed the Victorian Coalition Government is to educating our youngest children and setting them up for a life of learning.
“I’m especially proud that local centres have received much needed funding to help increase their capacity and prepare for 15 hours in the year before school as part of the Universal Access agreement,” Mr Walsh said.
Successful centres in the Swan Hill electorate were:
• Gannawarra Shire Children’s Centre with a grant of $205,775 for a $255,775 project that will result in internal renovations to create more useable space and an extension to the centre to provide for the growth of the kindergarten programs, both in hours and numbers and provide additional Early Years services and programs.
• St Arnaud Children’s Precinct with a grant of $300,000 for a $485,352 project which will deliver an additional kindergarten room, boosting license capacity by 30 places. This will enable the centre to achieve universal access, while maintaining existing three year old kindergarten and other current programs that focus on vulnerable families.
Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Wendy Lovell said the Victorian Coalition Government was committed to recognising early childhood as an important tier of education.
“The early childhood years are vital,” Ms Lovell said.
“We know that 95 per cent of a child’s brain development happens by the age of five, and a good quality early childhood education will give them a great foundation for their primary, secondary and tertiary education, and for their future work life.
“Because of this, every application that met funding criteria has been funded, by bringing forward money from the recently announced $50 million grants round.
“That will ensure that funding is on the ground and construction starts as soon as possible.
“We’ve allocated $80.4 million to Children’s Capital Grants in just 18 months, and we’re looking forward to seeing the next round of applications,” Ms Lovell said.