Walsh calls for action on sale of Random House

Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh has pushed the Andrews Labor Government to follow through on a commitment to put Rochester’s iconic Random House on the market. Speaking in Victorian Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Walsh asked Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan for confirmation on when the property, currently owned by the Department…

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Funding on offer to tackle tough times together

Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains is encouraging grassroots organisations based in the Swan Hill and Gannawarra Shires to apply for grants of up to $150,000 to access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of the drought. Mr Walsh said the Tackling Tough Times Together grant…

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Community safety in Campaspe must come first

The Andrews Labor Government is failing to protect communities, as Victoria records the highest number of criminals in 15 years. Figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show a 39.96 per cent increase in the number of offences in Campaspe shire since Daniel Andrews was elected in 2014, from 2,948 to 4,126. Across the State, recorded…

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Regional development stalled by Andrews Government

Wednesday 9 October 2019   Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees, which are tasked with helping grow regional communities, have been abandoned for more than 12 months by the Andrews Labor Government. Media reports today confirm Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes has left Victoria’s RDA committees with just one member, the Chair, since October last year. RDAs push forward local priority projects aimed at driving economic growth and community…

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Walsh spreads BreastScreen message across Murray Plains

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month runs from 1 October to 31 October. Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh is using the opportunity to encourage women in the age group of 50 – 74 to have a screening mammogram. “BreastScreen Victoria statistics show that over 1,500 women in Victoria might have…

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New Echuca Bridge One Step Closer

A second Murray River crossing connecting Echuca and Moama is one step closer with a contractor appointed to build the new bridge. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was in Echuca today to announce McConnell Dowell will carry out stage 3 of the project, including construction of the new bridge which will begin next year. Member…

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Drought-stricken farmers miss out on direct rates relief – again

Wednesday 2 October 2019   Daniel Andrews’ latest drought response is underwhelming and fails to deliver the genuine relief measures farmers have been calling for. Our drought-affected communities are desperate for action from the Premier and it’s disappointing that what he’s turned up with today still falls well short of expectations. Drought, combined with high…

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Kangaroo pet food program

Tuesday 1 October 2019   Changes to the kangaroo pet food program announced today by the Andrews Labor Government risk tangling farmers, professional shooters and pet food processors up in red tape. After five years of delayed extensions and uncertainty under Daniel Andrews, the permanent program, which starts today, will not allow kangaroos controlled with…

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Labor’s funding cuts threaten Landcare jobs

Victoria’s Landcare networks could be forced to lay off their facilitators next year after the Andrews Labor Government failed to fund the positions. The news comes as Landcare marks its 30th anniversary as a national organisation this week. Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said The Nationals and Liberals first…

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Daniel Andrews not listening to farmers on rural crime

The Andrews Labor Government still is not listening to farmers across the Murray Plains electorate and is missing another opportunity to employ dedicated frontline police officers to tackle rural crime. The Andrews Government announced the Farm Crime Co-ordination Unit this week, but despite Labor’s claim it has created 70 new positions, in reality it has…

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Part-time squad not enough to tackle rural crime

Monday 23 September 2019   Victorian farmers have long called for a dedicated rural crime squad, but today’s announcement doesn’t deliver what farmers requested. Changing job titles is not the same as adding new frontline officers and it won’t help tackle worsening rural crime rates. The Andrews Labor Government is trying to dress today’s announcement…

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Bendigo residents calling for details of GovHub deal

Bendigo residents are calling for more transparency on plans to sell council-owned land for the Bendigo GovHub with hundreds of signatures tabled in Victorian Parliament. Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria and Decentralisation Peter Walsh tabled a petition last week with 328 signatures calling for more detail on the deal with…

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Law-breaking activists to cop new sanctions

Tough new laws to better protect farmers and farm businesses against people inciting farm trespass have passed the Federal Parliament. The new laws, passed last week, will mean anyone sharing farmers’ private details online to incite farm trespass will risk jail time and follows the publishing of thousands of farmers’ home addresses on the Aussie…

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New jobs at Hattah at risk unless Minister intervenes

Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh has called on the Andrews Labor Government to intervene to progress a new $63 million almond processing plant at Hattah. Speaking in Parliament this week, Mr Walsh asked Minister for Planning Richard Wynne to call in Brownport Almonds’ application, which is expected to create an additional 30 full time…

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