In his final address to State Parliament recently, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, urged Labor’s Health Minister to consider reviewing the eligibility criteria of the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme, so it can better support East Gippsland patients.

 
“VPTAS provides Victorians who have to travel more than 100 kilometres one-way (or 500km per week) for specialist medical treatment with financial assistance towards the costs of travelling to, and staying near, that treatment facility.
 
Mr Bull raised the need for greater support during the final sitting week of State Parliament.
 
“For example, the Snowy Flamingos Cancer Support Group at Orbost has conducted a survey amongst its members in regards to out-of-pocket costs for those being treated for cancer,” he said.
 
“One of the group’s members has incurred over $15,000 in out-of-pocket costs.
 
“I understand you have to draw the line somewhere on distance but the threshold distance for VPTAS support needs reviewing, as do the rates for financial support, and I urge the Minister to do this,” he said.
 
Mr Bull said rural and regional Victorians did not have the same access to health care as Melbourne patients.
 
“Many of the families accessing this scheme cannot afford to be out of pocket for long periods.
 
“Improved processing times and increased financial support will deliver essential relief for families.
 
“This will improve outcomes for patients by increasing access to the best specialist care and removing the additional burden of financial stress during illness and treatment,” Mr Bull said.

 

An elected Liberal Nationals Government will deliver a more efficient and secure water supply for farmers in the Macalister Irrigation District, providing $13.4 million to kickstart the final stage of modernisation works.

 

Shadow Minister for Water Steph Ryan, Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull and Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien were in Newry today to announce funding to continue vital work to achieve the MID2030 vision set out by the former Victorian Liberal Nationals government.

 

“Ageing and inefficient water infrastructure contributes to water losses and higher water bills,” Ms Ryan said.

 

“If elected, we’ll complete our vision to modernise the MID by providing Victoria’s share of the funds needed to upgrade infrastructure and make it a more efficient system for irrigators.”

 

The MID delivers water to 700 irrigators around the Maffra district and Phase 2 works will continue staged upgrades into the Newry region. It’s the largest irrigation district in southern Victoria, contributing more than $500 million to the Victorian economy each year.

 

Mr Bull said the upgrades would improve system efficiency, lift farm productivity and enable best-practice water use.

 

“Phase 2 works will allow for water savings for irrigation while increasing resource availability, boosting agricultural production, placing downward pressure on water prices and increasing the total delivery pool,” he said.

 

“I’m proud to be here announcing today we’ll finish what we started and deliver our vision for a more efficient MID.”

 

Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien said the MID modernisation would ensure increased water security in the region when it’s most needed.

 

“This project will deliver water savings that will allow our local irrigators to reinvest and grow,” Mr O’Brien said.

 

“Modernisation work must continue to improve the long-term security and sustainability of our region’s water resources.”

 

Phase 1A has been completed, while Phase 1B is scheduled for completion in 2020.

 

The Federal Coalition Government announced in June 2016 it would fund a feasibility study to determine the full cost of Phase 2 works. Similar to earlier stages, irrigators will contribute a third of the funding required, with the remaining third to be sought from the Federal Government.

 

 

Thursday, October 4, 2018
 

A Liberal Nationals Government will transform Victoria’s rail network, slashing travel times on the Bairnsdale line to better connect Gippslanders with more jobs, further education and healthcare.

 

Gippslanders will have better access to universities, TAFEs and specialist medical services with high speed rail between Melbourne and the Latrobe Valley and track upgrades so trains can run at faster speeds to Bairnsdale.

 

The Nationals Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull said the Liberal Nationals’ European-style high speed rail will knock more than an hour and a half off the trip to Bairnsdale, from a current time of three hours and 47 minutes to 127 minutes.

 

“Our High Speed Rail project will get Bairnsdale line passengers where we need to be sooner and pave the way for more daily rail services,” Mr Bull said.

 

“We’ll cut travel times to Bairnsdale with track upgrades to increase speeds to 160km/h, introducing limited express services and building high speed rail which will travel at 200km/h between Traralgon and Melbourne.

 

“If elected, we’ll also buy new-generation long-haul trains for the Bairnsdale line which will be reliable, fast and comfortable, ending the plague of cancellations and replacement buses that we’ve been stuck with under Labor.”

 

Building European-style high speed rail will also take more cars off our roads, saving lives and cutting traffic congestion for regional freight going into Melbourne.

 

This $15 billion to $19 billion super-infrastructure will cut travel times on all regional rail lines and will be planned and built in three stages over the next ten years.

 

Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said high speed rail would better connect Gippslanders with services and jobs in nearby communities and in Melbourne.

 

“Daniel Andrews has been the Premier for Melbourne.  A Liberal Nationals Government will be for all of Victoria, not just Melbourne,” Mr Walsh said.

 

“When we reduce travel times, we increase opportunities for people to live in one place and work in another.

 

“If we truly want to decentralise our state, we have to improve connectivity between our regional communities.”

 

The High Speed Rail project is the cornerstone of the Liberal Nationals’ plan to decentralise Victoria and includes work to establish a dedicated Gippsland line out of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. It follows a $633 million pledge to buy new long-haul rolling stock for country Victoria, including the Bairnsdale line.