Reset Victoria Rally
Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (17:23): (1070) My adjournment matter is for the Premier following the recent Reset Victoria Rally in Bendigo last Friday. Nearly 500 people came from across the state for a very vocal and heartfelt rally at the All Seasons Resort Hotel. The rally reflected the deep level of community fury over the Allan Labor government’s lack of consultation on high-voltage transmission lines planned for Victoria, along with a range of other issues. Speakers at the rally were especially upset and angry about the government’s approach to implementing renewables. They believe rural and regional Victorians are being treated with contempt and have been left feeling like second-class citizens. Proposals for wind and solar projects and the potential damage that transmission lines will have on farmland and their livelihoods have left farmers feeling extremely frustrated and angry. Decisions are being made without proper consultation. Regional communities will be home to solar panels, batteries, wind turbines and transmission lines, but the Allan Labor government is taking their rights away by removing the right to appeal.
On top of this the cost of living, cuts to health services, our crumbling roads, poor education outcomes and a lack of childcare places – all of these things are hurting our communities. The government is forging ahead with its very expensive Suburban Rail Loop while country residents are feeling like the poor cousins. I attended an event at Parliament House today, and the Premier said, ‘When you listen to people and understand people, you get better outcomes.’ Well, the same action is what I ask the Premier to take: to extend the same courtesy and meet farmers, landholders and key stakeholders face to face to listen and discuss the direct impact of renewables in northern Victoria. Friday’s rally aimed to tell the Premier that rural and regional Victorians matter, and they certainly sent that message loud and clear.