Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Across the Wimmera, Mallee and Mildura regions, renewed focus on regional areas has allowed the expansion of social services. The oncology wing at the Horsham Base Hospital, the St Arnaud Street Museum and the Grampians Peaks Trail are some projects that have been undertaken to strengthen the community. The region has also benefited from a number of Landcare grants. We have seen $2 million from the federal government for education and training facilities at Longerenong College to drive innovation in our agricultural sector. We have also seen better education and early childhood facilities.

The cooperation of the state Labor government, oddly, and the federal government has delivered the Wimmera weather radar, a very good project for our community, ending a 10-year campaign by local farmers. The radar will give more precise, real-time weather data, allowing farmers to make informed on-farm decisions and to significantly increase our agricultural productivity.

Further funding of $240 million has been announced, again to partner with the government, to deliver the Murray Basin Rail Project, which is going to drive productivity as we put trucks off roads and put more stuff on rail to get it to the export market and to the world.

The people of the Wimmera and Mallee region are innovative, tenacious and proud of where they live and what they have achieved. I am determined to continue pursuing their interests and seeing many more advancements into the future. I only made one promise at the last election—to do my best—and I have honoured that promise.