General News
18 September, 2024
Perspective: Invest beyond metro bubble
By GAELLE BROAD REGIONAL Victoria, the heart of our state, is being slowly suffocated by the Allan Labor Government’s neglect and inability to manage money. In the last month farmers and landowners from across the state have voiced their fury at...
By GAELLE BROAD
REGIONAL Victoria, the heart of our state, is being slowly suffocated by the Allan Labor Government’s neglect and inability to manage money.
In the last month farmers and landowners from across the state have voiced their fury at the government’s lack of consultation on high voltage power lines and renewables, as well as a range of other key issues hurting rural and regional Victoria.
The Reset Victoria Rally in Bendigo attracted around 500 people. Speakers at the rally said rural and regional Victorians are being treated with contempt and have been left feeling like second-class citizens.
Despite the Premier attending a Rural Press Club of Victoria lunch at the venue on the day, she did not meet with protesters to discuss the issues that had been raised so strongly.
The next week a Bush Summit had similar concerns raised.
I attended an event at Parliament and heard the Premier say that when you listen to people and understand people, you get better outcomes.
I formally asked the Premier to extend the same courtesy and meet farmers, landholders and key stakeholders to listen and discuss the direct impact of renewables in Northern Victoria.
A face-to-face discussion would be a good start, but we also need a change of direction. This year’s State Budget showed the state debt will rise to $187.8 billion by June 2028 and we will be paying $26 million every day in interest. That is over $1 million every hour just in interest repayments!
Labor cannot manage money, and they’ve introduced over 55 new or increased taxes to pay for their mistakes. Over $600 million wasted on the failed Commonwealth Games, and major projects have blown out by over $40 billion.
Premier Allan continues to focus on Melbourne and ignore the warnings, tunnelling ahead with the expensive Suburban Rail Loop without the funds to pay for it.
Regional Victoria bears the scars of systemic underinvestment by the Labor State Government. Our population continues to grow, yet figures released by the Parliamentary Budget Office reveal that per person asset investment in metropolitan Melbourne is more than double regional Victoria.
The burden of state debt plays out in daily life across regional Victoria. With $26 million in interest payments draining the state’s coffers every day, the opportunity cost is immense.
This is money that could otherwise be invested in the infrastructure and services that regional communities desperately need.
Every day, I speak with people across Northern Victoria and hear about the growing list of infrastructure and services that our region desperately needs.
Healthcare in regional Victoria is in a state of crisis. Hospitals are underfunded, understaffed, and ill-equipped to handle the demands placed on them, and residents often have to travel long distances to access basic medical services, let alone specialised care.
Transport infrastructure in regional Victoria is another area where the neglect is very real. Roads that connect regional towns to each other and to Melbourne are deteriorating, with potholes, uneven surfaces, and inadequate signage becoming the norm.
The lack of investment in road maintenance and upgrades not only compromises safety but also hampers economic activity by making it difficult for farmers, businesses, and tourists to move around the region efficiently.
The people who live in these communities are resilient, but we should not have to put up with the government’s neglect. We need a state government that sees beyond the metropolitan bubble and recognises the value and potential of our regional communities.
* Gaelle Broad is the member for Northern Victoria Region