What's on around Wangaratta - 28 Mar 2009

Probing King River health

Action plan to protect valley’s natural asset - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

RIVER health, water quality and exotic infestations will be probed as part of an action plan for the Upper King River.

North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) has commissioned Water Technology Consulting to prepare the waterway action plan for 24kms of the river.

The project area runs from Lake William Hovell downstream to Gentle Annie Lane at Whitfield, with major tributaries of the King River West Branch at Cheshunt South, Stony Creek at Cheshunt and Station Creek at Whitfield.

NECMA waterway project officer, Rebecca Damm, said there is a focus on threats and actions impacting on the river’s health.

"From a physical perspective, this includes the land directly influenced by the river within the channel, the near bank riparian zone and the floodplain," she said.

Ms Damm said the impact infestations of exotic flora, including willows, and the affect of the 2006/07 bushfires, has had on the river will be investigated.

"We will also look at the potential for future channel avulsions and scour of the floodplain, as a result of current land use and management of the floodplain, and water quality concerns raised by the local community," she said.

A community reference group has been established and member, Thomas Moritz, representing the King Basin Landcare and King Valley Tourist Association, said the river was of paramount importance to the region.

"From our Landcare perspective, we’re interested in the water quality, and its impact on the biodiversity and ecosystem," Mr Moritz said.

"We’ve been doing a Waterwatch program, testing samples from the river over the past 10 months, and we have seen, from time to time, some higher phosphate, nitrate and ecoli levels than we want.

"Obviously we want to maintain the river ‘clean and green’, as it plays a big part in tourism too."

Whitfield Primary School is also on the community reference group, with other stakeholders, including the DSE and Parks Victoria which manage the adjoining National Parks and State Forests, to have input.

Ms Damm said public and stakeholder meetings are planned to inform of project developments.

High cattleman honor for Frank

Plaque at ‘Bennies’ a fitting, historic tribute - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

RESPECTED mountain cattleman, the late Frank Ryan, was remembered and honored last week at a special event by his relatives, friends and the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria.

A ceremony was held on the upper Rose River at the historic ‘Bennies’ near Frank Ryan’s former cattle lease.

On the Saturday, a group of people on horseback rode into the lease at the head of the Dandongadale River along the original bridle track, revisiting the lease and remembering Frank and his good mate, the late Don Kneebone.

The ride was led by Frank’s nephew, Chris Ryan, and friend Roger Smitheron.

A plaque on a rock at Bennies was unveiled on Sunday by members of Frank’s family.

It is situated beside a plaque remembering Don, so the mates are still together.

The ceremony was chaired by local bushman, Neville Wright, and tributes were paid to Frank by speakers including MCAV president, Christa Treasure, Ron Briggs, Graeme Hughes and Graeme Stoney.

A poem written by Don’s daughter Christine was read to the audience by Wendy Jubb Stoney.

Neville presented a roast dinner, hearty breakfast and lunch to the good crowd who attended.

Speaking later, Ms Treasure said mountain cattlemen would continue to push for grazing to be used widely as a management tool in both state forest and national parks.

She also announced the MCAV intended to sponsor similar heritage rides to different leases around the High Country in forthcoming years.

"We must retain for posterity the special knowledge the cattlemen have about their leases, even after cattle have been removed, and one way to do that is to have a ride into the lease and have someone connected to the country tell our riders and especially our young people all about the history," Ms Treasure said.

"At the same time we will also remember the stories of the particular cattlemen’s families who ran cattle on the country for up to 150 years."

Buffalo secret agenda

MP claims state wants to ‘lock away’ mountain to commercial activities
- source: Wangaratta Chronicle

THE State Government has a secret agenda for Mt Buffalo which involves the removal of all commercial activities, including the permanent closure of the iconic chalet.

That is the view of Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley), who said this week that he has a real concern that the government plans to "lock away" the mountain as a national park.

"If this happens, it would be an absolute disaster for this 150 year old national park and the 99 year old chalet, as well as the region generally," Mr Jasper said.

"The continued procrastination by the State Government could result in the permanent closure of facilities."

Mr Jasper’s comments came despite the latest response from the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Gavin Jennings, confirming that Mt Buffalo was a high priority for the State Government.

"The government’s recent actions don’t support, or even reflect, the minister’s latest comments," Mr Jasper said.

He said Mt Buffalo Community Reference Group, which was formed to assist with the redevelopment, was disbanded, almost 12 months ago.

"In September, the minister advised that the lessees, the Burbank Group, had been given until December 15, 2008, to reopen the chalet, but three months later, there has been no action, although Mr Jennings informs me that Parks Victoria has begun investigating all options to resume the lease.

"Just how long do lease negotiations drag on?"

Mr Jasper said that in a Parks Victoria media release dated February 26, 2008, chief executive Mark Stone announced that ‘having considered the findings of two recently completed reports on the needs and viability of the Mt Buffalo Chalet, Parks Victoria had entered into negotiations to try to secure a redevelopment of the chalet with the Burbank Group’.

"The chalet has been closed for more than two years and locked away behind a chain wire fence since August 2008, with disastrous consequences, both for the building which is continuing to deteriorate, and as an extremely popular long term attraction for tourists and locals in North East Victoria," Mr Jasper said.

"The government received some $6.5m in an insurance payout following the loss of Cresta Lodge in the 2006/07 bushfires and the question must be asked, what has happened to that money?"

"Another winter season is fast approaching and again there is no accommodation open on the mountain and no adequate visitor facilities."

Future water hope buoyed

Probe into underground supplies looks good for Wangaratta security

Written by Philip Nolan. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

THE on-going concern about Wangaratta’s long term water security could soon be over.

This follows very positive early findings from a major study being conducted on the giant Murmungee aquifer, which runs through the Ovens Valley.

The first two stages of a major $350,000 study into the aquifer have produced results which have delighted Rural City of Wangaratta chief executive officer, Doug Sharp.

"It really has been very exciting," Mr Sharp said.

"There is still a lot more work to be done, but from what we are seeing so far, it would appear that the aquifer could provide us with the opportunity to secure the city’s water supply well into the future."

The study, which has received substantial funding support from both the state and federal governments, is being done in four stages.

The first stage of conceptual modelling was to map the aquifer and also to study its relationship to the Ovens River and other water courses.

This revealed that the aquifer was very large in size and had a high interaction with river levels, Mr Sharp said.

"In other words, it rises and falls at very much the same levels as the river," he said.

"There is a strong connection, and it is good news in that it is not just like a well, being continually drained."

The next stage of the study was focussed on water quality, and again the outcome was positive.

"The water quality if excellent, making it ideal for a verity of purposes, including food production," Mr Sharp said.

"The next two stages will include numerical modelling and scenario modelling, and then the whole project will be checked against climate change levels of high, moderate and low.

"It is hoped to have the complete study wrapped up by August this year, and I have to say that at this stage, it looks very promising.

"It is potentially another source of water available to Wangaratta and the region, providing us with the water security we need.

"It would prove very valuable in promoting the food bowl concept we are putting forward, as you do not have the evaporation, seepage and contamination that is part of a river system.

"It would enable us to make very efficient use of the water that is available.

"We originally looked at this as an alternative to Big Buffalo.

"It could well be that we have the solution to our water security concerns right underneath us."

Government goes to Church

• Churches should be used as post offices to benefit community, says Government - Telegraph

  
  

  • 
  • St. Bega's Church of England (pictured above) instigated the use of the building to maintain the post office which would otherwise be closed, Lake District Photo: RII SCHROER

  • A guide published by the Government and the Church of England tells clergy how they can navigate the maze of public funding, and so obtain grants to make better use of their buildings.

    It claims that this not only helps local people but ensures that historic churches, many of which need repairs, will be preserved for the future.

    • This sounds like a great idea to better utilise existing resources. However, bringing the Church and the Government together begs some obvious questions: - Will the Churches become dependent on conditional funding from the state? - Is there a danger of religious fanatacism - or relgious terrorism - becoming entrenched in our Churches? - post by gnaylor

Big Brother out of control in England

• Anglers arrested after shining laser beams at ducks - Telegraph

  tags: no_tag

  • Three anglers were arrested after using laser pens to frighten ducks away from their hooks.
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  • Police have defended the action, saying weeks before laser beams had been shone at aircraft from the area.
    • That's akin to arresting somebody walking down the street because, a few weeks before, there was a mugging in the area. - post by gnaylor

  • He said of the £20 green light laser pens: "Quite a few people have them around here and use them for fishing. We are adults and only loons would shine them at planes. I don't know why they picked on us. The whole thing was a ridiculous waste of manpower and time."

    Mick Radomski, Mr Kailus's friend, said the lasers were useful for scaring off ducks which dived in after the bait and got hooks stuck in their beaks.

    • We repeatedly read of common sense being replaced with bureaucratic regulation designed for totally different circumstances.  Why to we tolerate that? - post by gnaylor

Would you buy a Nano?

MOTORING experts in India have given a rousing reception to the Tata Nano, hailing the world's cheapest car as "one of the greatest bargains of all time" and "a triumph of Indian ingenuity".

The tiny car, which costs just 100,000 rupees ($A2809) for the basic model, was unveiled to great fanfare yesterday, with Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata saying it would revolutionise travel for millions of Indians.

India's trade press agreed that the sporty, jellybean-shaped Nano passed the test as a bona fide vehicle, earning comparisons to the European Smart car and classic "People's Car" - the Volkswagen Beetle.

In a world wide recession and with the unpredictability of oil/petrol prices, it may be time for every car owner to re-evaluate their transport needs.

If the Nano ever comes to Australia, will you check it out or simply dismiss it as a gimmic?  By the way, It actually reaches 105 kph.

Rudd goes bananas

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release  20^th of March 2009
Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Rudd goes bananas

Responding to the recent decision to allow banana imports from the Philippines, Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood exclaimed, “Kevin Rudd has gone bananas!

“We are in a global economic collapse, Australia is facing a wave of unemployment, and our domestic banana industry is more than adequate to supply the Australian markets, yet the Rudd government is happy to wipe out banana growers and workers through imports—this is insane,” he said.

“Australia’s $350 million banana industry, which employs 5,000 people, will go the way of the pig industry and citrus industry, both of which were virtually annihilated by cheap imports.

“And, if you import the fruit you import the diseases—Australian agriculture will suffer long-term damage from these imports.”

Mr Isherwood accused Prime Minister Rudd of sacrificing Australian industry and jobs, to the global agenda being run by the British Government through the G-20, to stop nations from resorting to protectionism in the face of the global economic collapse.

“Rudd has demonstrated repeatedly—with car industry tariffs, clothing tariffs, and now banana imports—what he’s committed to, and it’s not Australia’s economic well-being, it’s British free trade.

“Free trade is a fraud,” Mr Isherwood continued. “The imports are cheap, only until the local producers are wiped out, and then we are at their mercy.

“We are in a global economic collapse, because free trade has bankrupted the world. Formerly great industrial economies like Australia have been turned into debt-laden consumer economies, and are now vulnerable and exposed to the global economic crisis.”

Mr Isherwood pointed to the plunge in Chinese exports, of 2 per cent in December, 17 per cent in January, and 26 per cent in February, which threatens the world’s supply of essential goods:

“The crazy thing is, we could and should be producing these things ourselves,” he pointed out.

Mr Isherwood called on the Australian Government to dump free trade, and instead support the international campaign by the American physical economist Lyndon LaRouche, for a New Bretton Woods system of
financial re-regulation, industry protection, and infrastructure
development.

Greg's Comment: 

Since Australia began signing Free Trade Agreements, I cannot see any benefit to Australia through these agreements.  All we ever see is encroachment on our own industries. 

The banana imports is a real danger because I reckon the imported bananas I have eaten in New Zealand tasted better than our Australian grown bananas.  If I am right, then the Australian population will demand imported bananas because they taste better ... and that would see the end of our industry.

To protect Australian industry, we need protectionism in the form of preventing imported products from being sold at a lower price than the Australian made alternative

Sophie Mirabella: on Social Security

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to join my colleagues in speaking against the Social Security and Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) Bill 2009. This bill, if passed, will have an extraordinarily detrimental impact on self-funded retirees, particularly those living in rural and regional Australia, including in my electorate in north-east Victoria. It will change the rules governing income assessments on self-funded retirees to determine their eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

The Labor government is asking parliament to support them in introducing a new clause in the income test on seniors to allow for the inclusion of income from superannuation—an income that is salary-sacrificed to superannuation—to a retired person’s adjusted taxable income for the purpose of assessing their eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. This is a direct attack on self-funded retirees. You would think, at a time when many of them have suffered because their assets and their finances have been frozen, that this government would think about the hardship they are facing. But, no, these people are under attack. These are the people who have worked hard to build their savings, to build their superannuation and who have continued to manage their superannuation into retirement. They will definitely suffer if this bill is allowed to pass and changes are made to the income test to include superannuation.

There are more than 19,000 people aged over 65 in my electorate. This figure is predicted to grow to almost 29,000 people by 2020 and to over 41,000 people in 2035. A very significant proportion of the population in my electorate are retired, and many of them are self-funded retirees. Many of them, in their retirement, do come from other parts of Australia—for good reason—to retire in the north-east.

So, despite what the Labor government would have people think, the majority of self-funded retirees are not wealthy individuals squandering their super during retirement years. It is no wonder that those on the other side show no interest and total disregard for the plight that will face our seniors in retirement who have changed their arrangements after the previous government changed the income test to allow them to include superannuation income.

Many of the self-funded retirees in north-east Victoria do live on a restricted pension-style income, just as those who live on a government-funded age pension do. The difference is that self-funded retirees have earned and saved their retirement income during their working lives. This bill and this government directly want to punish them. I suppose it is part of the class war of envy that is becoming more and more apparent from the government during these difficult times—when they panic and have a knee-jerk reaction in responding to the economic situation confronting us. If this bill is passed and the government is allowed to include superannuation income in the income test for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, it will jeopardise the eligibility of many who have come to rely on it.

Sophie Mirabella: on Defence Capability

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to talk about a very important matter that goes to the core of government’s role, and that is Australia’s defence capability. Defence needs to be deployable, equipped and supplied to do its job. In order to be deployable, equipped and supplied to do its job, Defence needs some sort of indigenous capacity for local manufacture—it just makes sense. Defence is not like any other arm of government or any other government department—the member for Charlton sitting at the table opposite knows something about defence procurement. If our forces are to have certainty and the quality needed to do their job then we need to ensure that our government takes specific steps to ensure that we retain some sort of indigenous capacity. If we do not, and we outsource everything overseas, then we may as well give the game away.

We cannot rely on some bean counter in Canberra to say, ‘It is cheaper in China; let’s go offshore.’ For Defence, this is too simplistic and it is far too dangerous. Take, for example, the product that I am very proud to say is manufactured in my electorate by Bruck Textiles. They are in Wangaratta and they are not going offshore—one of the few textile manufacturers who have consolidated their position over the last few years in difficult circumstances that have seen other textile companies go by the wayside. They produce the camouflage material that is used by our forces. It is a chemically treated fabric and it has certain spectral qualities.

Imagine if this sort of product were produced overseas. The spectral qualities in the fabric give security to our men and women, who give of themselves and put themselves in danger overseas. How could we be certain that an overseas supplier would never use the information contained in that technologically advanced fabric against our men and women? To a soldier, certainty in the quality of the equipment they use—from the electronics to the uniform—is very important. And it is very important for them to know that our enemies and potential enemies do not have that information.

We would be absolutely foolish to allow the exportation of entire industries overseas. I am on the record on this. Even before I was elected, I campaigned very heavily and argued quite strongly on such an issue. I was pleased to be supported by and to work together with the then candidate for Farrer, Sussan Ley, and Sharman Stone to fight to retain an indigenous capacity to produce propellant in Australia. That has indeed come to pass and the plant at Mulwala is being built.

But we need to know what the government’s position is on Australian workers supplying Australian diggers and emergency services with fabric made in Australia. Do the government agree with their ACTU mates that they do not want to wear foreign made uniforms? I have to tell you this: any soldier fighting for their country would expect to wear a uniform of that country, not one made in Communist China.

I am very proud that we have a textile company like Bruck textiles. They are innovative. They have acquired other businesses whose capacity has disappeared, who have fallen by the wayside. Bruck are prepared to take up some of the slack in other businesses that are currently in trouble and I am very proud that they have made the hard decisions over the years to do that.

Pacific Brands have taken $17 million of government handouts and are now going overseas. The question for the government and for other companies like Pacific Brands is: are Pacific Brands true to their word that they will engage with any genuine buyer of the business divisions with manufacturing sites that are earmarked to close? If they are, they should stick to their word, and the government has a responsibility to ensure that the assurances Pacific Brands have given are genuine. The government needs to give assurances and to make it a high priority to recognise the strategic importance of defence and emergency services textile manufacturing. This government needs to support Australian businesses within our nation which want to grow our jobs, and not reward companies like Pacific Brands who take jobs offshore. (Time expired)

CEC: Why are Australians in Afghanistan

Media Release  18^th of March 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au
 

Isherwood: Prosecute a real war on drugs, or get out of Afghanistan

On news of the death of another Australian soldier in Afghanistan today, Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood asked, “What are our Aussie troops even doing in Afghanistan, given its rapidly growing drug production, and associated organised crime drug-lord rings?”

Mr Isherwood said, “In 2001, the year that the US invaded Afghanistan to oust the ultra orthodox Islamic Taliban which harboured the infamous terrorist group al-Qaeda, Afghanistan produced less than 100 tons of opium. In 2007, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Afghanistan’s opium production was 8,240 tons! US official agencies report an equivalent of 8,000 tons. This is an increase of 80 times the opium production.

“This opium, converted to heroin, generates about US$4 billion to those Afghans who control the drug business and related crime, while the street value in Europe of that heroin is US$132 billion.”

Mr Isherwood said, that the five southern provinces of Afghanistan; Helmand, Nimroz, Farah, Uruzgan and Kandahar produce 80% of the country’s opium, but are patrolled by more than 8,300 British troops in collaboration with a few thousand Canadian and Australian troops.

“What is going on that since 2001 the opium production has skyrocketed, particularly in these British, Australian and Canadian areas?”

Mr Isherwood said, that on 27^th January this year, UNODC director Antonio Costa reported that the world drug trade is so big that it could be considered the most important of all world agricultural markets worth over US$320 billion, and a large proportion of this money is being channelled into the banking systems of Europe.

Lyndon LaRouche’s publication Executive Intelligence Review, which published a best-selling book in 1978 called Dope, Inc. reported in its 27^th February edition, that the flow of drug money into the banking system could be as high as US$1 trillion annually.

Mr Isherwood asked, “Are our troops, with British and Canadian troops, being misused, in effect, to protect the drug lords, and consequently the huge amount of drug money now flowing into the disintegrating, crisis-hit Western banks? If we were to significantly increase our troop numbers in Afghanistan, what’s going to be done to stop opium production from increasing as it has done in the last eight years?

“As we now know, the so-called war on terror was a Bush-Cheney fantasy; what we need is what LaRouche has fought for since the early 1980s—a real war on drugs, using modern technology to wipe out the drug crops, the locations of which are well known, like the opium fields of Afghanistan, or can be easily identified using satellite technology.”

Mr Isherwood concluded, “Unless our soldiers in Afghanistan are going to be deployed for such a mission, they should be brought home, instead of being exposed to danger for no good reason.”

Sophie Mirabella: on Microbrewers

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the efforts and campaigns of microbrewers right across the country for tax reform. Coming from a small business background myself, I know only too well not only the burden that unnecessary government regulation places on small businesses and how that impacts on their bottom line but also how unfair taxation can be. Isn’t it strange that often it is the smallest businesses that are affected by taxation?

The microbrewers industry has developed significantly. My electorate has seven microbreweries—arguably the largest concentration of any electorate in the country. I will list them, for the information of the House. There is the Sweetwater Brewing Company in Mount Beauty, the Jamieson Brewery in Jamieson, the Buffalo Brewery in Boorhaman, the Bright Brewery in Bright, Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth, Boyntons Feathertop Winery at Porepunkah and Bintara brewery in Rutherglen.

I would like to inform the House that these breweries have added value in a very real way to the tourist product in the north-east. They have employed people. They have developed the tourist product. They have given visitors yet another reason to come to the north-east. We are blessed with some of the best wineries and wine regions in the country. I know my friend from Mayo would disagree and say that there are significant wineries and wine regions in South Australia, but anyone who has visited the north-east will know that we are blessed with a clean, green environment and we produce terrific wines. Now we produce wonderful beers as well.

The current tax system is a burden on local microbrewers. I support the campaign for change and would like to see a system akin to the WET scheme. Having campaigned for changes to the excise on wine for boutique wineries even before I was elected, I can empathise with microbrewers. They are in the same position as those small wineries were. We had to fight for several years but we were successful in the end, under the previous government. I would hope that, with the efforts of members on both sides of the House who have an interest in rural and regional development and who have a knowledge of the economic advantages that microbreweries are providing not only in their own electorates but around Australia, we can achieve this.

The current definition of ‘microbrewer’ is far too small. It is capped at 30,000 litres. That needs to be removed. The excise tax refund of 60 per cent of excise duty on beer needs to be increased from the current maximum of $10,000 to the same maximum amount as the wine industry producer rebate under the WET, which is $500,000 per annum. That would go a significant way to removing the current restrictions on expansion for microbrewers. It is not going to have a significant impact on government revenue. It is estimated that the proposed changes are going to cost $5 million annually, but that is a very small loss to the revenue compared to the jobs and economic activity that will be generated and the tax revenue that that activity will create.

In the current environment, where jobs are being lost left, right and centre—thousands of jobs—week after week after week, it is encumbent on us to do all we can to remove the impediments of unfair laws, particularly unfair taxation laws, on an industry that has shown that it does have growth. We have seen in recent times that, at a time when there is a decrease of two per cent in employment in larger breweries and the brewery industry generally, there has been more than a 10 per cent increase per annum in employment in the microbrewing sector. That shows a trend and tells us what Australian consumers are wanting to see.

In the remaining time that is left to me, I would like to thank those entrepreneurs—those young people, middle-aged people and the broad cross-section of individuals—who have taken the risk to establish microbreweries in my electorate of Indi. I do enjoy your product, as do many of our visitors, and I will fight with you and on your behalf to get a fairer tax system for you.

City’s plan to buffer ‘crisis’

Fast-track projects, support local businesses

Written by STEVEN BURKE. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

WORK has begun on a four-pronged strategy designed to help Wangaratta businesses fight their way through the global economic crisis.

Endorsed by Rural City of Wangaratta councillors last night, the strategy has been devised by the board of Wangaratta Unlimited, and is structured around the catchcry "Now is not the time to be timid".

The strategy focuses on the areas of: direct economic stimulation; innovation and entrepreneurship; leadership; and business support.

As part of the strategy, council will attempt to capitalise on government funding to fast-track local projects, including the Ovens Riverside Project, Wangaratta Showgrounds redevelopment and the Centre for Medical Excellence.

A delegation from Wangaratta Unlimited, as well as council chief executive Doug Sharp and mayor Ron Webb, are in Canberra today to lobby the government for support of its projects.

"We are in a position where we can go to them and present these projects that are ready to go," said Wangaratta Unlimited’s Graham Nickless.

"The areas of the economy that are really susceptible would be retail, and certainly the trades areas, particularly around housing construction, which we’re hearing has tapered off a bit."

The board is also approaching the crisis at the ground level, with a mail out in Wangaratta this week designed to give all 1100 locally registered businesses a checklist of the best ways to run their businesses.

Mr Nickless said board members will also participate in a mentoring program with local business owners.

"We’re mindful we’ve got some highly credentialled and experienced business leaders within our board," he said.

"Tapping into that, that skill base and expertise, is invaluable."

Mr Nickless said the strategy was designed to build confidence in local businesses.

"We’ve been a bit heartened that Wangaratta has been cushioned to date," he said.

"We haven’t had the big closures of Albury/Wodonga.

"There’s no question this is a challenging time.

"But this is also a time of opportunity.

"Interest rates have not been at this level in my working life, so there are opportunities for acquisitions."

The strategy also involves a plan to help local retailers attract customers to Wangaratta.

"We are trying to enhance marketing of our retail offer so we try and stop more of our expenditure leakage from our catchment," Mr Nickless said.

"We need to work collaboratively to do this," he said.

In endorsing the plan, councillor Lisa McInerney said local businesses needed to embrace Wangaratta Unlimited’s help.

Cr Rozi Parisotto said she was confident the plan would have an impact.

"This is about us not burying our heads in the sand," she said.

It is understood Wangaratta is one of the first councils in Australia to devise its own strategy to deal with the global economic crisis, and the strategy will form council’s submission to the Federal Government’s inquiry into the impact of the global financial crisis on regional Australia.

Regional plan stirs emotion

Development shake-up welcomed, attacked

Written by Philip Nolan. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

A JOINT government plan to re-shape regional development services has come under fire politically but been welcomed at a local level.

The state and federal governments have agreed to close Victoria’s 12 Area Consultative Committee offices by June 30 and move their responsibilities under the Regional Development Australia banner.

The North East Area Consultative Committee has been run out of Shepparton for the past 13 years, with the current chairman being a former principal of Goulburn Ovens TAFE at Wangaratta, Eric Lund.

The Rural City of Wangaratta has also had two representatives on the board, with council’s economic development manager Graeme Nickless having been a member for 13 years, and Wangaratta Unlimited’s Jock Vance also being a member.

Area consultative committees have been the key link between local and state government and the Federal Government in assessing and then obtaining funding for major community projects around the region.

The North East group, headed up by Shepparton’s Shane O’Brien, has been very active in recent years, and has attracted the second highest level of government funding of all ACCs around Australia.

Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) said that doing away with the ACCs meant that the Federal Government was thowing away ties with rural regions.

"What is alarming is that under this plan, the replacement bodies will now be controlled by state government agencies. Federal Labor is just giving their state Labor mates more power to neglect the bush," she said.

Victorian National Party leader, Peter Ryan, said he was concerned that existing ACC staff would lose their jobs and that regional Victoria would lose "a wealth of corporate knowledge on regional development issues".

"For the past 12 years, ACCs have provided a valuable link between government agencies, businesses and the community, helping to stimulate growth and economic activity," he said.

However, Wangaratta’s long-serving ACC member, Graeme Nickless, said that there were many benefits in aligning the regions with existing Regional Development Victoria regions.

"Wangaratta will be part of the Hume region, and with RDV already operating from Wangaratta, this could bring a positive result for the city," he said.

"While the existing NEACC did a wonderful job, there were issues with the crossover of regions and things like border anomalies.

"The fact that the NEACC was very successful in attracting a high level of funding is a measure of its effectiveness, but the new model has a lot of benefits going for it.

"The outcome is pretty much what the Rural City of Wangaratta put forward in its submission to the regional development inquiry last year. We think it will be a good model and hopefully see all three levels of government working together."

Local farmers push for more dam water

source: Wangaratta Chronicle

20,000 megalitres plea to Minister Holding

UPPER catchment farmers who believe 20,000 megalitres of water should be allocated for farm dams ‘as of right’ have finally put their case to Water Minister Tim Holding.

Minister Holding promised their concerns would be considered in formulating the final report of the Northern Victorian 50-Year Water Strategy, said Upper Catchment Water Committee chairman David Evans.

"It is the first opportunity we’ve had in 10 years to discuss our proposals at the highest decision-making level," Mr Evans said.

At the 45-minute meeting, Mr Evans, Towong mayor Mary Fraser and Victorian Farmers Federation North East chairman James Neary put their case in three parts:

• the economic and environmental advantages of using the available limited water on the originating farm;

• the current disincentives to development of high value irrigated agriculture east of the Hume Freeway; and

• the solution - "as of right" allocation from “new” water, as a result of water savings, for water that has never left the farm, similar to NSW.

Minister Holding questioned the committee’s economic analysis, and discussed the tension between gravity irrigators and upper catchment farmers’ rights to store water that never left their farms.

"We pointed out that in the case of conflict between competing interests, it was the minister’s responsibility to act as arbiter to achieve a fair balance," Mr Evans said.

"We will continue to follow this issue through with the final report and the government’s reaction."

River building isn’t too high

Development set to get approval, with $565,000 parking payout to council

Written by STEVEN BURKE.

A FIVE storey office tower overlooking the Ovens River will be built in Faithfull Street, if Rural City of Wangaratta councillors follow the recommendations of council officers at a meeting in Wangaratta council chambers tomorrow night.

Council officers have recommended the Mick Lloyd development, to include four storeys of office space and a fifth floor restaurant, be approved, on the provision the developer meets 37 conditions.

An objection to the development was received by council, with Helen Curtis, Hannelore and Anthony Sheehan complaining the height of the building would not be in harmony with the landscape and surrounding buildings.

But council officers have dismissed the objection, after a conciliation meeting was held between council, the objectors, Mr Lloyd and the architect, Jeff Speiring.

The recommendation states the objection is not supported as, at 18 metres, the building will not be the tallest in Wangaratta, with the Wangaratta Government Centre topping the skyline at 21 metres.

"In a streetscape context, it can be viewed as complementing the existing structures," the report states.

"The proposed building stands at 18 metres, however, the fifth storey is set well back with the bulk of the building at four storeys (and a height of) 14.4 metres."

But while recommending an approval, the report pays particular attention to car parking spaces.

The current plan only includes provision for 25 parking spaces, leaving a discrepancy of 65 spaces below what council planning permits require for the site.

In lieu of these spaces, the developer will be required to pay council $8700 per space, for a total of $565,000.

Wangaratta - Consider 7am closing

Taxi drivers say later, not earlier weekend pub trading, will reduce bad behavior

Written by JEFF ZEUSCHNER. - Wangaratta Chronicle

WANGARATTA Taxis believes expanding, rather than reducing hotel trading hours, could rid the city further of lawless behavior.

Taxis spokesman, Rick Thewlis, said the city’s taxi drivers believe 5am closure is working well, and they don’t favor any push to revert to earlier closure times.

In fact, Mr Thewlis suggested any change should instead be towards 7am closure.

"It’s done elsewhere and it works…it could further help reduce behavioral problems and we would be in a better position to service patrons," he said.

"People are like possums…they see daylight and they’ll go home, without the vandalism."

Rural City of Wangaratta councillors are re-examining 5am trade in light of recent early morning vandalism, and calls by councillor Doug McPhie, himself a former police superintendent, that businesses have "had a gutful" of it.

But Mr Thewlis, who is also a former policeman, said fellow taxi drivers feared a return to 3am trade would create more problems.

"Drivers say it was a nightmare with 3am closure…some 600 people coming out at once from the hotels, screaming for a taxi, getting cranky and then the trouble starts," he said.

"The State Government limits us to running nine taxis and two maxi-cabs, and that isn’t enough to deal with that sort of crowd, particularly when you’ve got a couple that have passengers wanting to go to Benalla or Myrtleford, which is common.

"But with 5am, you have people leaving gradually throughout the night and we’re able to handle the numbers, reducing the prospects of people walking home and causing any issues."

Wangaratta police last week told Wangaratta Chronicle that they had not seen any marked increase in violence since 5am trade was introduced.

"Catch 22" on overseas outsourcing

• Rees pulled into line over outsourcing >  LIVENEWS.com.au

  • 

NSW Labor has ordered Premier Nathan Rees to stop outsourcing government work overseas.

The NSW ALP administrative committee unanimously passed a motion on the issue on March 6, The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday.  The premier has a week to reply to the motion.
...
Mr Rees, following revelations almost all emergency services personnel uniforms were being made in China, said he feared China would retaliate if NSW stopped the contracts.

"We don't want to get in a tit-for-tat situation in which for example China stopped buying coal from NSW which would mean that a region like the Hunter would be decimated," he said.

Now, there's a "Catch 22" for you. 

If our governments are afraid of upsetting our trading partners and consequently our national economy, how can we expect them to stop the banks and big business from doing the same thing

Schools Bullied into merger talks

Rural schools told to consider option in wake of federal funding

Written by JEFF ZEUSCHNER.- Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

LOCAL rural primary schools are being bullied into considering mergers, Wangaratta’s federal member claimed yesterday.

Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) accused the State Government of using an imminent windfall of federal funding "as a cover to force schools to amalgamate".

The Wangaratta Chronicle has confirmed that Oxley, Milawa, Everton and Whorouly primary school principals were summoned to a meeting earlier this week and asked to discuss the option of all four schools merging into one new school at Milawa.

The merger was prefaced on the basis the Federal Government’s stimulus package could deliver up to $850,000 per school, and a merger could be a good way to maximise educational benefits.

Mrs Mirabella said schools had been given the impression "that discussion of amalgamation is a requirement before federal funds are handed over".

She accused Victorian Minister of Education, Bronwyn Pike, of using the department, through regional directors and regional network leaders, to do the "government’s dirty work".

But Ms Pike, in a statement to Wangaratta Chronicle yesterday, refuted Mrs Mirabella’s allegations and said all schools have access and are entitled to federal and state capital funding.

"There will never be a policy in this government, nor will there be pressure from this government to force school closures or mergers," she said.

"Because of a huge investment in capital funding from both us and the Federal Government we have a huge work program of projects we need to get up and running to deliver new school buildings and jobs in Victoria.

"Labor MPs are out there talking to schools about how they can best use the money, unlike the Federal Opposition members who tried to vote this package down."

Oxley Primary School council met last night and unanimously voted against any merger.

Council president, Dianne Newton, said Oxley was a strong school with 67 students that delivered quality education and remained a valuable asset to the local community.

"Our school is continually ranked well above the state (academic) average and parental surveys indicate a strong level of satisfaction with the school," Mrs Newton said.

"We can’t see any real reason for a merger," she said, acknowledging the four schools do already work together within the cluster group.

Mrs Newton said her school had good facilities with a large multi-purpose shed currently being built, and a bike path now linking the school with the Oxley township.

She said the school would be getting in touch with the other three schools to convey its stance.

• Edi Upper, Myrrhee, Greta, Whitfield and Moyhu primary schools were summoned to a meeting with education departmernt regional office staff yesterday.

Motivation is to help others

Cr Parisotto included on Victorian Women’s Honor Roll

Written by HARVEY DIKE. - Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

AS a child she would listen to her widowed mother bemoan the lack of assistance and support for Italian migrants.

But as an adult, and mother herself, Rozi Parisotto has spent the past decade making a difference to migrants, and the wider community, to the extent she was this month included in the Victorian Honor Roll of Women in 2009.

Only 20 women from across Victoria were added this year, with the Wangaratta resident’s entry acknowledging her commitment to women in local government and multiculturalism in the region.

She has been a Rural City of Wangaratta councillor since 2000, and is a founder and remains president of the North East Multicultural Association (NEMA).

The association, which has more than 500 members, acts as the ‘voice of multiculturalism’ in the North East, and in 2007, she received the Victorian Government’s Excellence in Multicultural Affairs - Meritorious Service Award.

In addition to lobbying for more female representation on council, Cr Parisotto was the first female president of the Wangaratta Soccer Club, and a regional representative of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.

"I stood for council, believing in the saying ‘Don’t get angry, get elected’, and because my passion is for people, I work closely with volunteers, and am an outspoken advocate for equality, respecting the rights of people regardless of race, culture and religion," she said.

"NEMA is very proactive in accepting and celebrating this diversity, and has been successful in winning funding to support an ageing migrant community.

"I’m also very passionate about getting women into local government, and was delighted when, in the latest elections, four women were nominated and three were successful.

"I have been involved in a program delivered by GOTAFE facilitating and encouraging a wider participation in local government."

Cr Parisotto is philosophical about her own so far unsuccessful attempts to become Wangaratta’s mayor, and doesn’t believe she’s hitting the glass ceiling that many women encounter in business and government.

"There’s a new way of doing things in council, and that means getting support and running a ticket," she said.

"It’s a challenge, but challenges provide opportunities, and I’ve always enjoyed a challenge."

Ride for true bush man

Saddle up to honor Frank Ryan: nature’s gentleman

Written by JACQUIE SCHWIND.

A HORSE ride this month will remember one of the district’s last true bush men.

The memory of Frank Ryan, who passed away in July 2007, will be honored by a trail ride, led by nephew Chris Ryan, from Bennies in the Upper Rose River to Frank’s Dandongadale lease on Saturday, March 21.

The ride and unveiling of a plaque the following day has been organised by the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria, developed from the thoughts of local farrier, former Rural City of Wangaratta councillor and MCAV member, Neville Wright.

"It was my idea to keep some of our heritage alive," Mr Wright said.

"I really believe Frank’s was the only funeral I’ve been to where the man never had an enemy.

"He was one of nature’s gentlemen.

"He was always well-liked and he would do anything for you."

MCAV’s official journal, Voice of the Mountains (No 31, 2008), speaks of Frank’s cattleman days:

"As a young man, Frank had joined with Alan Bennie and Ian McKay in running cattle in the bush in the Dandongadale River/Little Dandongadale River area as well as holding a lease between the Rose River and the Wabonga Plateau in the Stockyard Creek area," the journal says.

"This latter area complemented the former Soldier Settlement block on Wabonga Plateau that Frank had purchased in 1957.

"Along with clearing the one square mile block, Frank also completed the construction of the partly built double storey log hut.

"Cattle grazing was an integral part of Frank’s life and for many years Frank enjoyed helping his friends the late Don Kneebone and Max Blair move their mobs to and from the Black Range and Bogong High Plains respectively."

Mr Wright, who described Don as "one of our great bush poets", said a tribute plaque to Don, located at Wabonga which is on the market, would be moved to Bennies.

There it will rest on a rock along with a new plaque unveiled in Frank’s memory.

For more details call Mr Wright on 0428 500 398.

Sophie Mirabella: on Regional Telecommunications

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to comment on a very important aspect of government failure and policy, particularly as it relates to rural and regional Australia. Some on the other side may laugh and mock at the lack of resources. The rhetoric is great: ad nauseam, they seem to get the lines and trot them out like wound-up robots. But people on the ground who live in real towns and cities, not in the make-believe pretend world of spin doctors but in the real world in rural and regional Australia, know some things for certain. One of those things is that this government’s approach to regional telecommunications is an absolute joke. Whether it is through sheer malice that they make the assumption there are swathes of rural and regional Australia who did not vote for them at the last election, therefore why bother, or whether it is through sheer incompetence, it is inexcusable, nonetheless.

Labor’s cancellation of the Howard government’s OPEL contract was an absolute act of political opportunism. It was one of the worst decisions they could have made for people living in rural and regional Australia. And it is not just businesses that need access to the latest in telecommunications—it is schools; it is households; it is emerging online businesses as well, many of which have been successful and are developing in rural and regional parts of the country. But it is very interesting to note that very little has been promised and, in fact, even less can be delivered by this government when it comes to telecommunications in rural and regional Australia.

I would like to read a paragraph from Optus’s submission to the Senate inquiry into the Labor government’s proposed National Broadband Network. They have quite correctly slammed the Rudd government. This is what they said:

The cancellation of OPEL was a lost opportunity for Australian business and consumers, particularly in the bush. Almost 900,000 premises across rural and remote Australia were to have been delivered metro-equivalent services at metro-comparable prices. Many of those premises would have been receiving services now.

Optus’s submission does expose the Labor government’s indifference and inability to actually deliver for country Australia. Kevin Rudd’s approach and that of his minister is shameful. (Time expired)

Country Racing: the last horse home?

Source: (State MP for Benalla) Bill Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes told Parliament this week proposed changes to the Gambling Regulation Amendment (Licensing) Bill are set to have a long term negative impact on country racing now that Gambling Legislation will result in less money going from poker machine revenue to the Victorian Racing industry.

“It is important that we continue to support country racing, and this legislation as it stands at the moment will continue to put pressure on country racing, which puts pressure on country communities, which in turn puts pressure on our trainers, schools and all of those who see country racing as a provider of places to go,” Bill Sykes said.

In spite of assurances by the Brumby Government that the proposed changes would not affect country racing, an independent assessment by Ernst and Young has shown racing to be $600 million worse off, which will have a flow on effect on race clubs throughout regional Victoria. Linked with this is a rationalisation (ie cost cutting) of country racing.

If proposals by Racing Victoria Ltd (RVL) and Country Racing Victoria (CRV) come into effect the consequences for country racing clubs such as Mansfield, Merton and Benalla would impact both socially and economically on those communities.

The Mansfield Shire Council’s written submission to RVL in relation to the proposed changes predicted a loss of 34 jobs and $2.1 million in the Mansfield community.

“That is significant at any time,” Bill Sykes said, “but at a time when our country communities are seeking to cope with the impact of 12 tough years, bushfires and a global recession, it is an appalling state of affairs that further pain is going to be inflicted upon that community for the sake of, in the case of Mansfield, a lousy $30,000 to $40,000 a year.

RVL’s rationalisation process includes the centralisation of horse training to Seymour, thus potentially ending the careers of horse trainers in the Mansfield district.

“I note the success of apprentice jockey Billy Egan at Melbourne race tracks and that on the cover of the Mansfield Shire Council’s submission is a photo of Luke Nolan riding to victory in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield only a couple of weeks ago. That is a product of the training that is available at Mansfield for young riders, indicating that we have something which must be protected at Mansfield,” Bill Sykes said.

The stringent proposed viability measures for picnic race meetings threaten the future of Merton Race Club which has successfully run meetings for over 100 years.

Bill Sykes told Parliament: “The Mansfield and District Equestrian Club stress the importance of the picnic race meeting at Merton to the whole community and to fundraising groups such as it…even the Landcare group at Merton has supplied a letter of support emphasising the importance of that meeting locally.”

The Benalla Racing Club is under pressure from the threat of removal of $120,000 worth of funding, placing its 11 meetings per year at risk.

“I should say that the Benalla Racing Club has a fantastic set-up and that as a sponsor of racing events I look forward to getting into the spirit of racing and to see the benefits of events like the Benalla St Patrick’s Day race meeting for the whole community,” Bill Sykes said.

Bill Sykes concluded by urging the Brumby Government to do more, to make sure they get the legislation right to ensure country racing is not scratched from the field.


EDITORS NOTE: To view the complete Hansard go to: http://tex.parliament.vic.gov.au/bin/texhtmlt?form=VicHansard.adv
SEARCH: Current Member: Sykes Date:  2009 March 10

Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
Ph: 03 5762 2100   Fx: 03 5762 4478  Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au

Isherwood: Royal Commission or Royal Cover-up?

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release  12^th of March 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au
 

Isherwood: Do not turn bushfire inquiry into Royal Cover-up

The plan to hold the hearings of the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires behind closed doors smacks of a possible cover-up, to get the Government off the hook, Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood said today.

“Royal Commissions have a track record of turning into Royal Cover-ups, by their terms of reference and the way they are conducted,” Mr Isherwood charged.

“Royal Commissions, by their nature only make recommendations, and it is usually only through public embarrassment that governments are forced to act on these commissions findings.

“More than 200 people perished on Black Saturday, and it would be the height of injustice if the Government used its usual PR tricks and bureaucratic processes to minimise public scrutiny of the raw and unadulterated accounts of the fires from affected victims, and the associated causes of the tragedy.”

Mr Isherwood alleged the Government has something to hide:

“It is an undeniable fact that this Government was repeatedly and tirelessly warned, by real bushfire experts, over many years, that a disaster was brewing, because of the political changes to vegetation management.

“It seems that the policy of the Government was to ignore those warnings, because of their ideological commitment to ‘green’ policies.

“Similarly, local government councils, which operate under State Government authority, enforced green policies on the population in the disaster area, which directly increased the risk exposure of the victims.

“Some residents who resisted the green regulations, and through their better judgement took measures to reduce their risk to bushfire, were heavily fined—a measure calculated to keep the rest of the population ‘in line’.

“This is not a scandal, this is a crime. There is no softening of the reality for the victims,” Mr Isherwood declared.

Mr Isherwood announced the CEC was calling for:

• A fully-public inquiry, open to all interested parties;
• The broadest terms of reference, which include changes to state government policies and practices related to fuel-reduction burns over the past two decades, and how changes to local government council regulations came about, and under whose influence;
• Total accountability from anybody, including public servants and elected officials whose decisions are identified as responsible for damage to property or loss of life;
• Long-overdue changes to vegetation management, to a safety-first policy, where the populations’ right to protect their persons and property is restored.

MP says 5am trade too late

Vandalism, excessive alcohol must be addressed by more ‘manageable hours’

Written by Philip Nolan.- Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

ONGOING concerns over Wangaratta’s controversial 5am trading have been raised on the floor of State Parliament.

Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley) has cited problems of excessive alcohol consumption and vandalism by the city’s young people as a reason for need to review state liquor laws.

Mr Jasper was pushing the case to have liquor licensing enforcement controlled by police, rather than the government’s preferred concept of civilian compliance inspectors.

"I believe it is critical that we look at controls in the industry and look to the police to enforce regulations," he said.

Mr Jasper noted that in Wangaratta, at least one venue stays open until 5am.

"In my view there is no need for excessive trading hours within a rural city like Wangaratta or indeed across Victoria," he said.

"We have a former superintendent of police, Doug McPhie, now a councillor with the Rural City of Wangaratta, who is extremely concerned at the extended trading hours in the city.

"Police in Wangaratta tell me some people leave a hotel or alcohol outlet when it closes at 2am and then move from one licensed outlet to another as they progressively close up until 5am.

"The excessive trading hours lead to excessive alcohol consumption, particularly by young people but also by others.

"Recent instances of vandalism within the city, including two instances of damage to fences at St Catherine’s Nursing Home, are of real concern.

"I believe we need to look at restricting the liquor service hours within this municipality, go back to manageable hours and make sure all licensed outlets close at the same time."

Mr Jasper yesterday confirmed that there was a groundswell of opposition in the Wangaratta community to the extended hours.

Related article - Lockout move sparks debate - Border Mail

Print your way out of debt - Zimbabwe style

Bank to use 'newly created' money

The Bank of England is launching its latest attempt to boost the supply of credit and stimulate the UK economy, using £75bn it has, in effect, created.

It has begun offering to buy £2bn of government bonds from investment institutions and individuals, in the first of a series of auctions.

The aim is to get the Bank's newly created cash out into the wider economy and encourage greater lending.

The Bank said last week it would pump £75bn into the economy, having cut interest rates to an all-time low of 0.5%. It has government permission to inject a further £75bn into the economy if it wishes.

COMMENT: England has gone ahead and printed £75bn of 'counterfeit' currency to pay off their debt - just like Zimbabwe has been doing for years. Every time they release some of that newly minted currency, it surely deflates the value of the existing British Pound (£). BTW in Zimbabwe, Approx 75 per cent of population requires food aid right now

Used in isolation, that might improve Emgland's finances at the global level but it must also weaken the buying power of their own currency. If it does indeed work for the British, it follows that every other country will do the same thing and devalue their own currencies negating the idea in the first place.

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• Q & A: What is 'quantitative easing?' (cnn.com)

Sophie Mirabella: Area Consultative Committees

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to talk about something that is very distressing to rural and regional Australia and, I know from direct experience, to my part of the world—north-east Victoria and the border with Albury-Wodonga. That is the demise of area consultative committees. The Rudd government’s decision to shut down the network of regional development agencies by June this year will have major consequences, and it has hit our regions and it has hit those who have served on these committees in volunteer capacities very hard. I think one of the harshest things of all is the personal effect it will have.

There are individuals who have volunteered of their time for many years. In fact, some of them have served on these area consultative committees for longer than some people’s marriages survive. Not only have they been told, ‘No thanks; we don’t need you any more,’ they have not even been thanked for the job they have done over these many years. Let us remember that these are volunteers. They include people like Eric Lund, who chaired the North East Victoria Area Consultative Committee, and Shane O’Brien and Joan Ross, also from NVACC. They include Bert Eastoe, who chaired the Albury Wodonga Area Consultative Committee, Ray Hortle—also from AWACC—and all the committee members who have served on both these area consultative committees.

I want to go on the record today and say: thank you. Thank you for going through those mounds of paper and selecting the best local projects. Thank you for helping our councils, other community organisations and individuals develop their applications so they could be the best applications possible—not only to get funding through the Regional Partnerships program but through other government programs. I know that the small-business officers who worked in area consultative committees have gone well beyond their duty in assisting locals, individuals, organisations and local government in putting together applications—for state funding as well. They have been an invaluable resource and they have not been given a ‘thanks’ from the government; they have just been told very hastily that they are no longer needed. This was after they were told there would be transitional arrangements.

Imagine: you have all these volunteers and you have a smaller group of paid staff, who have this extraordinary experience not only with the funding programs previously available but also knowing what projects and needs exist within the regions that they have operated in—and their expertise is not even being utilised in this transitional process. I call on the government to have some sort of small ceremony to acknowledge those who have worked as staff and those who have worked as volunteers—to acknowledge their efforts. It is a small thing to do in return for the efforts that they have put in over many years. It is not just good manners; it is the right thing to do. Quite rightly, some of these people have taken the sudden shutting of these area consultative committees as a bit of a personal slight. The government has not even thanked them, and they have put in so much.

I know many of them will continue to put a lot into their communities in other ways, but I think the government should follow the lead elsewhere and actually provide some sort of job security for local ACC staff. It is interesting that, at a time when the government attacks private enterprise for its lack of job security and its callousness, the government has shown that exact same—worse—callousness in first promising transitional arrangements and then dumping on the staff, at very short notice, saying: ‘No thanks, you’re not even needed for transitional arrangements.’

Thank you very much to the area consultative committees for the money you have helped bring to our region—whether it was for libraries, whether it was to help with telecommunications, whether it was to help with community halls, whether it was to help with the sheds, whether is was to help with childcare centres, whether it was to help with maintaining and learning about our heritage through Ned Kelly restoration works at Glenrowan or myriad other projects. Thank you very much for what you have done. Our communities have been enriched, and we have had the services that otherwise would not be there. I want to put that on the record and I call on the government to follow my lead. (Time expired)

Sophie Mirabella: International Women’s Day

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to respond to the statement by the Minister for the Status of Women on International Women’s Day. I am delighted to have the opportunity to join with the minister in acknowledging International Women’s Day, which of course was last Sunday, 8 March. Australian women do indeed have much of which they can be proud. They have certainly come a long way in the last 100 years. I take this opportunity to applaud the women who are still struggling today in various parts of our nation, within various communities, whether it be in Indigenous communities or in the workforce or in a multitude of other forums in which they are struggling to improve the lot of women generally. Often they are silent volunteers, working hard because of a passion that drives them.

We are all beneficiaries of the efforts of many women who have gone before us. At the same time, however, we should acknowledge that there are many women around the world who do not enjoy the same freedoms that we do. They are denied a proper education, they are not free to make their own decisions, and the laws in their countries do not protect them from violence and abuse. Their position is quite literally worse than that of women in this country more than 100 years ago.

I do not doubt that the minister’s interest and passion in the area of gender equality are genuine, and I thank her for representing the interests of Australian women in such an august forum as the United Nations. But I think it would be a pretty safe bet that last Sunday most Australian women were too busy with their regular weekend activities, preparing for the working week ahead and/or spending time with family and friends to remember that it was International Women’s Day. It is likely an even safer bet that the last thing on their minds as they sat down to Sunday brunch was Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s statements and his crew in Canberra. But it is instructive on this occasion, when women’s issues are highlighted and women’s achievement celebrated, to take stock of exactly how the Rudd government has fared when it comes to delivering on their pre-election commitments to Australian women.

Looking at the big issues that have been nominated by the government, like paid maternity leave, prevention of violence against women and child care, it is safe to say that Labor’s record on these is a microcosm of their approach to government over the last 16 months. It is best summed up as committees, reports, task forces, delays, indecision and, unfortunately, disappointment. I would like to look more closely at some of the issues that the minister addressed at the UN in her speech in March and which she has again reiterated today in the parliament. She stated that Australia is pursuing three key priority areas for advancing gender equality. They are: improving women’s outcomes and financial independence; ensuring women’s voices are heard at all levels of decision making; and reducing violence against women. These three areas are of importance to women in their quest to close the gender gap, but, unfortunately, on closer examination it is quite clear that this Labor government does not leave much to cheer about.

Improving women’s economic outcomes and financial independence is in fact a critical and important objective, but economic outcomes and financial independence often start with the security of a job—whether it is that of the woman herself, her partner or the family on which she relies. The day the current government comes into this chamber and says that they have a real plan for jobs is the day they will have done something to assist women in their advancement to obtaining economic security and relieving them of some of those economic concerns.

The minister highlighted in her speech to the UN that Australia’s maternity payment is equivalent to about nine weeks of the minimum wage and assists with the extra costs incurred at the time of birth or adoption of a child. She spoke of it in glowing terms. I am disappointed, however, that she failed to acknowledge that this enlightened initiative was introduced by the Howard government, albeit under a different name. She also failed to acknowledge that some of her colleagues were not so supportive of such a scheme at the time. In fact, the member for Rankin said in the House on 23 May 2007 in relation to the baby bonus:

I cannot for the life of me understand how any government could come up with such a scheme.

I am pleased, however, that the minister herself can and has publicly acknowledged the Howard government’s initiative in this area.

As to the government’s action on paid maternity leave, I am afraid that the news is not so good. The minister informed the UN of the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into a paid maternity leave scheme but failed to inform UN members that, as reported in the Courier Mail on 23 February 2009:

Senior Ministers have been privately warning interest groups the $40 billion hole in the Government’s budget will make it too difficult to fund the proposed $450 million scheme in this May’s budget.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was talking tough in September last year when he said that it was time to ‘bite the bullet’ on paid maternity leave. At the same time, the Treasurer also said:

We’ve had 12 years of neglect on this, it’s time Australia bit the bullet on paid maternity leave.

They seem to biting bullets all the time but achieving nothing. Even Sharan Burrows said on the ACTU website last November:

The ACTU, unions and thousands of Australian families call on the Rudd Government to include the Productivity Commission’s proposed scheme in the 2009 Federal Budget as a matter of urgency.

Now it is a very different story from this self-styled champion of women. Just last week, as she sniffed the wind and saw that her Labor colleagues were furiously back-pedalling, the ACTU President was quoted in the media as saying:

If it needs to be phased in over a couple of years, that’s a discussion that can be had, but don’t make women wait.

So there is a bit of back-pedalling to support the changed federal Labor policy. Four months ago it was a matter of urgency and now it is fine for us to have a bit of a discussion.

But even Sharan Burrows would probably acknowledge—if only privately—that neither Kevin Rudd or Wayne Swan has made a tough decision since coming to office, and they are quick to blame others when it comes to failing to meet their election promises. Given December’s $10 billion cash splash and the $42 billion spending package announced last month, the coalition has every right to be sceptical of the Rudd government’s ability to deliver on its election commitment of paid maternity leave. With such poor economic management and the racking up of $200 billion debt, it does look increasingly likely that the Rudd government will walk away from its commitment to support families and blame everyone else but themselves. In fact, the Rudd government is so sensitive on this issue that it has gone into hiding and refused to publicly release the final report of the Productivity Commission, which was given to it last week. But did Minister Plibersek include these details in her address? No, she did not.

The minister also told the UN that the government was improving the quality, cost and availability of child care. But did she inform them of the current problems in the childcare industry? No, she did not. Did she inform them that while in opposition she and her colleagues screamed for vacancy data to be released so that those involved in the industry could strategically plan where centres are in critical shortage and where there is an oversupply? I very much doubt it, as the last time such information was released was in April 2007 under the previous government. It is now almost 16 months since the Rudd government came to office and it refuses to release such figures. And where do I even begin to start when it comes to the collapse of ABC Learning? Labor’s incompetence in handling this issue is legendary throughout the industry. People will tell you privately that they are too afraid to name themselves in the media and discuss it because they are afraid of the retribution that will inevitably follow. This has only added to the stress of families and working mothers and fathers around the nation.

Then there was Labor’s election promise to ‘end the dreaded double drop-off’ by building 260 new childcare centres in schools and on public land across the country. What has happened so far? It has taken 16 months, but plans are now underway to build six of these centres. The federal government has budgeted $114 million to build a total of 38 centres over the next four years. The fate of the remaining 222 centres that Kevin Rudd firmly promised apparently rests with the states and territories in COAG, and we all know what a parlous position state Labor’s economic mismanagement has left the states in. Now federal Labor is passing the buck to the states.

Labor’s big promise of universal access to preschool for all four-year-olds has similarly been sent to COAG to be discussed by yet another task force and to be eventually implemented over four years. In the meantime, New South Wales parents are still paying exorbitant fees and the community preschool sector faces collapse due to funding pressures. But at least Labor has a task force in place!

A very interesting article in the Courier-Mail reports that the Rudd government is giving $252 million to the Bligh Queensland government, in the middle of an election campaign, to help fund the building of 240 new kindergartens around that state by 2014. Firstly, I make it clear that the coalition welcomes any initiative that genuinely benefits Australian children, particularly in the area of early childhood development and education. But we should be highly sceptical about an announcement in the middle of a state election campaign, to the tune of $252 million, when the Labor Party cannot come up with any funding for a paid parental leave scheme about which it has built such high expectations. Given that the federal government has, to date, been unable to get no more than six of its 260 childcare centres which it promised off the ground, my hopes for the Queensland government building 240 kindergartens by 2014 are virtually non-existent.

I welcome the government’s promise of a national action plan to reduce violence against women and children, which was sent to a newly formed council. The council has been working hard, going around the country, consulting and genuinely working on what is hoped will be a practical national plan. It recently asked the government for an extension of the December 2008 deadline and it is due to report this month. That is fair enough.

But let us look at what Labor did in the meantime. They callously cancelled the highly effective ‘Violence against women—Australia says no’ public education campaign and they have put nothing in its place. So we have, effectively, had a 16-month vacuum when it comes to public education on violence against women. That is not good enough. I am sure that it is not something that the Minister for Housing included in her address to the UN and, given the collective $52 billion Labor have spent in recent months—(Time expired)