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Regional Road Map

Regional Road Map

First Nations Vaccination Rates

Edging closer to a billion dollars of investment in Shepparton District

I was shocked to hear that vaccination rates of Victoria’s Indigenous population had been greatly inflated to more than double the actual amount, following a technical software glitch.

Regional Road Map

Like many, I am finding it hard to accept the stepped process which includes all regional Victoria in one category before the easing of restrictions can occur. I value the important work of the Chief research.

Like many, I am finding it hard to accept the stepped process which includes all regional Victoria in one category before the easing of restrictions can occur. I value the important work of the Chief Health Officer and evidence-based research.

Last week’s Victorian State Budget was a “hold the fort” budget. It addressed debt with higher taxes in some areas, while focusing on the broken state of our mental health system.

With the spread of COVID-19 across western New South Wales, Victorians have been congratulating themselves on having such a high rate of vaccination among our Indigenous community, but it turns out this was not the case and I raised the matter with the health minister in parliament last week.

Like many, I am finding it hard to accept the stepped process which includes all regional Victoria in one category before the easing of restrictions can occur. I value the important work of the Chief research.

Warramunda Village has been a pillar of the Kyabram community, committed to the care and support of our elders and people with a disability who are local to the region. Residents enjoy many activities such as exercise sessions with health professionals, Roslyn Petrie is pictured here keeping

I am pleased that the funding we received in the budget brings our district closer to $1 billion in State Government investment in our region over recent years. Much of these funds are being spent on essential infrastructure in rail, health, education and agriculture.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley explained how the Commonwealth Government error occurred and said the Victorian Government was working with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation peak body to ensure the necessary resources were available to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible.

In this year’s budget, the Shepparton District missed out on our big-ticket items such as the Shepparton Bypass and Goulburn Valley Health’s Early Parenting Centre but we did have some meaningful investment in education, mental health and protecting our horticulture industry.

However, I believe there is a better and more positive way forward whereby the regions can be divided into three areas along the lines of our Primary Health Networks (PHN). This would mean the Murray PHN which incorporates northern Victoria, from Mildura to beyond Wodonga, would be assessed separately to the south-west which includes Geelong for instance, a city so closely integrated with Melbourne.

However, I believe there is a better and more positive way forward whereby the regions can be divided into three areas along the lines of our Primary Health Networks (PHN). This would mean the Murray PHN which incorporates northern Victoria, from Mildura to beyond Wodonga, would be assessed separately to the south-west which includes Geelong for instance, a city so closely integrated with Melbourne.

I will be making sure our First Nations people have easy access to vaccinations so they can protect themselves, their families and the community.

However, I believe there is a better and more positive way forward whereby the regions can be divided into three areas along the lines of our Primary Health Networks (PHN). This would mean the Murray PHN which incorporates northern Victoria, from Mildura to beyond Wodonga, would be assessed separately to the south-west which includes Geelong for instance, a city so closely integrated with Melbourne.

Government

Changes in our border bubble

I’ve called on the Victorian government to immediately put in place the mechanisms required to enable more of the contact tracing and management of the pandemic response to be in our regional health services so that they can work with our PHN’s and other health providers to beat the virus and get our communities up and going again.

I’ve called on the Victorian government to immediately put in place the mechanisms required to enable more of the contact tracing and management of the pandemic response to be in our regional health services so that they can work with our PHN’s and other health providers to beat the virus and get our communities up and going again.

There have been some significant changes in our border with New South Wales. While Shepparton has not been returned back to the border bubble at this time, we hope it will be soon.

Cross-border residents who have not left the cross-border or been to an extreme risk zone any time in the last 14 days, can now enter Victoria without a permit for any reason.

I’ve called on the Victorian government to immediately put in place the mechanisms required to enable more of the contact tracing and management of the pandemic response to be in our regional health services so that they can work with our PHN’s and other health providers to beat the virus and get our communities up and going again.

Those Victorians stranded further north in New South Wales may have had their local government area downgraded to a red zone. If that is the case, they can apply for a red zone permit to re-enter Victoria.

The $10.7 million GOTAFE Goulburn Murray Trades Skills Centre redevelopment will accommodate more apprentices and students who will go on to fill skilled roles in our district.

The situation is constantly evolving, so look to this link for updates: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/informationcross-border-communities

The Victorian Government allocated $6.4 million in Queensland Fruit Fly control in Goulburn Murray, Sunraysia and Yarra Valley. This ongoing funding to help protect the Goulburn Valley’s fresh fruit production from Queensland Fruit Fly is welcome.

Greater Shepparton Secondary College construction

A million dollars was granted for the redevelopment of Verney Road School. This school is overcrowded and a redevelopment is long overdue. This funding will get the ball rolling on the planning stage and hopefully funding for its redevelopment will be granted in next year’s budget.