General News
8 July, 2025
Big cities told of harsh realities
Rural voices hear in national capital, writes Anne Webster I HAVE been encouraged by the first batch of surveys sent back to my office as part of Mallee’s Biggest Survey 2025, which should have landed in your letterbox in the last week or so. You...
Rural voices hear in nationalcapital, writes Anne Webster
I HAVE been encouraged by the first batch of surveys sent back to my office as part of Mallee’s Biggest Survey 2025, which should have landed in your letterbox in the last week or so.
You can share your views on over 35 questions about issues that matter to you. I value your voice, and I want to hear from you.
I was recently in Canberra with some of your local mayors and councillors for the Australian Local Government Association conference.
As the new Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories I spoke at the 1300 ALGA national general assembly about some of the struggles you and your shires are facing, because I unashamedly support regional councils.
While city councils had to hear some uncomfortable truths on how tough regional councils are doing it, a strong contingent of city mayors and councillors – together with a delegation from Loddon Shire including Mayor Dan Straub - came to an event I held at Parliament House with Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Senator Bridget McKenzie.
Many mayors and councillors supported the issues I raised in my speech.
There is an immense amount of work in the local government portfolio alone, as I also sink my teeth into the other shadow ministry responsibilities of regional communications, regional development and the territories.
I am confident my new role will benefit you in Bridgewater, Inglewood, Boort, Dunolly, Wedderburn, the Loddon Shire and other communities because I remain 100 per cent focused on your needs.
To that end, I must comment on the hottest topic in the Loddon region of late, the VNI-West transmission line and the proposed fines of up to $12,000 if landowners refuse access to Transmission Company Victoria.
I congratulate everyone for continuing to fight for their farming communities affected by energy cowboys’ proposals for the region.
While the Albanese Labor Government in Canberra is a major driver of the energy rollout with their political yet unrealistic national energy targets, the Allan Victorian Labor Government and their local representative the member for Ripon must be held accountable for Transmission Company Victoria and VicGrid’s conduct in the region.
Both TCV and VicGrid are state entities responsible for the railroading of regional communities to fast-track Labor’s aggressive energy roll-out.
The fines of up to $12,000 for landowners who refuse access to TCV are proposed under a State Bill and your state MPs in both Houses need to know your thoughts on this very important issue.
Remember there are two Houses and Labor do not have the numbers in the Legislative Council to pass laws, so seek your Legislative Councillors’ advice on who else you might need to write to or contact.
The Allan Labor Government wants 95 per cent ‘renewables’ by 2035 – an impossible task! – and their ‘net zero’ target is by 2045.
The Albanese Labor Government wants 43 per cent renewables nationwide by 2030 and for Australia to reach ‘net zero’ by 2050 – all to bolster Labor’s bid to strut at a 2026 COP31 global climate conference they hope to host in Australia.
Mallee’s Biggest Survey asks you about Labor’s federal energy targets and my conversations with Loddon locals suggests there will be slim support for both. Again, make your voice heard by sending your Survey in or filling it out online. I note the Survey includes questions about how mining or energy projects on farmland should be handled – should farmers have a right to veto projects going ahead on their land, should the community get a vote, should there be significant local financial benefit?
I look forward to your response and feedback on these critical issues affecting you and your community.