Thursday, 9 September 2021

Ms VALLENCE (Evelyn)

It’s time for the government to finally listen and reclassify the Yarra Valley as part of regional Victoria. The Yarra Valley is known internationally for its fruit and vegetable produce, world-class vineyards, beef, sheep and poultry, and flower farms. It’s marked by its agricultural production, is one of Victoria’s top tourist destinations, and is a world away from inner-city high-rises. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic our community has had to endure Melbourne’s harsh lockdowns because of arbitrary bureaucratic lines drawn on a map. That’s despite no COVID cases for nearly a year. The Labor government is either hypocritical or confused when it classes the Yarra Valley as regional for tourism grants and vouchers, yet classes it as metro for lockdowns. Unfortunately, our community now has a few cases of the delta strain, but with about the same number of cases as the Geelong shire, why are they freed from lockdowns when the Yarra Valley remains locked up? It makes no sense. Given the government confirmed the inclusion isn’t based on medical advice, it must now reclassify the Yarra Valley and give our community much-needed relief.