Tuesday, 13 May 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (14:01): The announcement that Bega Cheese will close its Strathmerton site and consolidate operations in New South Wales, causing the loss of 300 local jobs, has shocked workers, their families and the broader community and sent a clear warning about the dire business conditions created by the Allan Labor government. My first thoughts are with the workers, families, suppliers and contractors affected by the devastating decision. The immediate priority must be to ensure Bega redeploys as many staff as possible to their Tatura site and works with other local manufacturers to place affected workers into new jobs. The state government must also step up and provide support and retraining assistance for workers needing to transition to other industries. Suppliers of milk and other goods and services to the Strathmerton plant will also face heavy impacts, with economic ripples felt right across our entire region.

Recent analysis of ABS data shows that 129,000 Victorian businesses closed in 2024 – that is over 350 a day – and in recent years more than 3000 businesses have moved interstate. This mass exodus reflects the rising cost of doing business in Victoria, fuelled by the Allan Labor government’s increased taxes and suffocating red tape. It is sadly unsurprising that a company would choose to relocate to New South Wales, where business conditions are more competitive and government policy encourages rather than punishes investments and job creation. The Labor government cannot manage money and cannot manage the economy, and Victorians are paying the price.