Vic

Victoria Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas has announced that Spiegel Energy in partnership with Radial Timber and the Yarram Community Energy Group have received $2 million from the Victorian Government through its Forestry Plan to establish a renewable energy park at the Radial Timber mill. The energy park is expected to create five full-time roles and turn Radial Timber into a fully closed loop site. It will turn waste from the mill’s operations into energy and heat, creating new revenue streams with excess energy running into the local electricity grid.

The Premier’s roadmap for regional Victoria to exit COVID-19 restrictions has more holes in it than the state’s country roads. Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, has questioned the Health and Education Ministers in State Parliament about what modelling was used by the Premier to create the regional exit plan

Member for Mallee, Anne Webster, this week has released a petition calling for the reversal of the vaccine mandate. “Mr Andrews has crossed an important line. Where the Victorian government should be encouraging vaccinations, he has begun coercing the public with an economic exclusion notice. “The premier needs to explain how this mandate is proportionate to the risk of COVID-19, especially given the pace of the voluntary roll-out in Victoria. One of the founding principles of our democracy is the freedom to choose.   Although, some laws limit our right to choose, this is done based on risk, necessity and proportionality."  

The NSW Upper House inquiry into floodplain harvesting hadn’t even finished hearing evidence when a barrage of media releases came from the Victorian and NSW National Parties ... What caused this great flurry of excitement by the Nationals? It appears the excitement was generated by how floodplain harvesting sits as an offence under s60A of the Water Management Act. This does not mean floodplain harvesting is lawful, it just means that provision doesn’t catch it.

Sheryl Lowe. Border communities have been some of the hardest hit since the pandemic began in Australia early in 2020. Many are living and working in both states with life straddling the border on a daily basis. So perhaps it is no surprise they are now the lifeline for several thousand displaced South Australians unable to return home due to the current strict border controls between South Australia and Victoria. The office of Member for MacKillop Nick McBride MP is close to the South Australian/Victoria border and he and his staff know first-hand the struggles of the border communities.