The Albanese Labor Government and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek have sold Victoria down the river by paving the way for devastating water buybacks despite the wishes of their Victorian counterparts, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. In announcing a new Murray Darling Basin Plan agreement with support from all but Victorian Labor Water Minister Harriet…
DetailsAlmost 40 Mallee volunteer committees of management have received joint Federal and State flood recovery funding but more needs to be done as Mallee rebuilds, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. The flood recovery grants for voluntary committees of management enable them to identify and deliver the work necessary to clean up and reinstate the…
DetailsThe safety of Mallee drivers is being compromised by Labor’s poor management of regional road repairs, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. “In its October budget the Albanese Labor Government stripped $60 million from the Black Spot Road Safety program over the forward estimates and deferred more than $280 million in Road Safety Program funding…
DetailsThe Albanese Labor Government must pause its 60 day pharmacy dispensing rollout because of the adverse impact on regional people, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster says. A nationwide survey conducted by the Pharmacy Guild has revealed almost one in four of the 1000 community pharmacies surveyed have reduced opening hours and 54…
DetailsFederal 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…
DetailsChina’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…
DetailsThe 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…
DetailsThe 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…
DetailsThe 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…
DetailsA 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…
DetailsThe 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,…
DetailsThe 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…
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