Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I begin, Speaker, let me tell you how excited the people of Mallee are that you will be joining us in the wonderful north-west of Victoria, visiting our schools and encouraging everyone to engage in our incredible democracy. Regardless of which chapter it might be in your storied career as Speaker, we cannot wait for you to join us in tropical north Victoria. Time won't permit us to take you to all four corners of the wonderful Mallee electorate, but I am sure that, in Sunraysia, you will put on quite a show.

Speaker, it may disappoint you to learn that there is a little grumbling about the Albanese Labor government in Mallee, not least from some of its mayors—you won't meet any of those, so it's okay! It's shocking, I know, but it's true. The Labor government recently announced the successful recipients of the Housing Support Program, and guess how much support Mallee got? None—not a cracker. Yarriambiack Shire mayor Kylie Zanker was gutted, telling the local media:

As a Mayor to say our council is disappointed is an understatement. We work restlessly on funding applications and to miss out again is just heartbreaking. We submit quality applications investing time and money on consultants to assist to ensure our applications are of the highest standard and to be unsuccessful is devastating. Four quality projects across Yarriambiack and not one funded. Our communities deserve so much more than the zero that is being delivered.

I have to underline that money was invested in applications. I have 12 shires in my Mallee electorate, when many metropolitan electorates have just one or two. Our councils have very low rate bases. They make a judgement call to invest in the resources to make an application, and a key factor in that decision is how critical it is for their residents. Yarriambiack Shire made four housing applications and got zip, zilch, nada.

It may horrify you, Speaker, to hear that, comparing the last three years under a coalition government to these three years of the Albanese Labor government, the difference in federal spending in my electorate is a factor of 20 to one. In my first three years, $2 billion was delivered in the electorate of Mallee. Since Labor have been in, there has been just $100 million across 12 shires. It's appalling—so much so that the Mildura Rural City Council in my home town also hit out about missing out again under Labor's Growing Regions Program. If we get the chance, Speaker, I might take you out to the Mildura Sporting Precinct for a kick of the footy or perhaps to shoot some hoops—you can do that! The coalition put $17.5 million into the Mildura region in that project alone from the Building Better Regions Fund. It was amazing. Do you want to guess what they've had under Labor's replacement, the Growing Regions Program? Diddly squat.

New mayor Helen Healy told Wade Stephens of the SunraysiaDaily newspaper:

The application we submitted would have realised a whole host of major additional improvements to our riverfront precinct, and is certainly in line with the purpose of this program, so we're not only disappointed, but a little surprised.

The chief executive, Martin Hawson, added:

We'd also committed to a significant level of matching funding as part of our application, as this project would have provided numerous benefits for our community, particularly families. While this is obviously a setback, we're still committed to these improvements and will look at how much we can do with Council funding.

I have to say that that is very difficult in country electorates and country shires. They are really scrambling to find dollars to even fix roads. This is the can-do regional spirit at work. We crack on, getting the job done, but to say the Mallee electorate is looking longingly to a return of a coalition government would be an understatement.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mallee and look forward to joining her in her electorate.