Federal Labor Water Minister Tanya Plibersek needs to stop ignoring Murray Darling Basin irrigation communities and State governments in her ruthless push to pursue water buybacks, despite their known impact on farm sustainability, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. “The Minister is prepared to disregard farmers whose livelihoods depend on irrigation, as well as…
China’s agreement to drop 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley is a win for Mallee farmers, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. The tariffs were introduced in May 2020 after Beijing accused Australia of selling the grain below the cost of production and subsidising farmers, however the Chinese Government announced they would be dropped…
The Victorian Labor Government has robbed regional communities of potential Federal funding by axing the state’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund (RJIF), Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. The state funding of more than $100 million per year has been ripped away from regional communities, meaning councils can’t access the Federal Government’s Growing Regions Program…
The Australian National Audit Office will investigate the Albanese Labor Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program Round 6 funding after it targeted funding to Labor seats in the election and left electorates like Mallee out. In Victoria, Labor seats McEwen, Bendigo and Corangamite all benefitted from Communications Minister Michelle Rowland’s hand-picked funding – while Mallee missed…
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has committed to simplifying their processes for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in line with the findings from the Mildura Regional Health Workforce Summit in March hosted by Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster. However, the Albanese Labor Government needs to do more to ensure…
A damning new report has laid bare the cost blowout and waste of the Western Victoria energy transmission project, threatening prime Mallee farmland, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. The Victoria Energy Policy Centre’s (VEPC) ‘No Longer Lost In Transmission’ report highlights the Victoria New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) costs are understated by…
The Albanese Labor Government’s $5.4 billion Cheaper Child Care subsidy has been exposed as poor policy with skyrocketing fees and no relief for Mallee’s child care deserts, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. Families across Mallee have told Dr Webster of their inability to access child care, which renders any taxpayer funded subsidy useless. However,…
The Victorian Labor Government’s ban on gas connections for new homes in the state from next year is an egregious overreach on energy policy, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. The ban will mean new homes and residential subdivisions will be powered entirely by electricity, with electric or induction cooktops to be installed instead of…
With unemployment figures for North West Victoria dropping to 2.4 per cent and a record Regional Victorian low of 2.8 per cent, the challenge is now to ensure businesses are able to find workers to continue the growth. Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force figures released this week showed Regional Victoria’s unemployment rate was well…
The Albanese Labor Government has rightly extended the Murray Darling Basin Plan deadline beyond 2024, but not without Water Minister Tanya Plibersek adopting a partisan approach. Member for Mallee Anne Webster said the Minister has not assisted the debate by using terms like ‘guerilla warfare’ and ‘sabotage’ in announcing the delay. “In her first briefings…