January 2025
Tuesday, 28 January 2025 10:17

Labor hurts more local businesses

Victorian Labor has hurt local businesses, offering significantly reduced work for those who manage the bushfire threat in our state forests.

The Forest Fire Management panel of workers have had, without notice, a massive reduction in their contract work.

State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said it is disgraceful that the State Government has starved work from these family-run businesses, after being promised similar volumes of employment as previous years.

Mr Bull explained that Forest Fire Management (FFM) engages a panel of external local contractors who undertake important bush maintenance, including maintaining forest fire access roads and other important fire preparation work.

“Panel members, who invest in gear and equipment, have reported FFM has failed to issue any job orders so far, this financial year. The loss of work has led to business distress and job losses,” he said.

“These contractors are small business operators who have to maintain very expensive equipment and be on stand-by for when they are called to help out in the event of a bushfire. Having the tap turned off on all work without notice hits them hard.

“I wrote to the Minister for Environment asking why these contractors have not been engaged, as the region simply can’t sustain any further loss of this skilled workforce - especially in the wake of the native timber industry shut-down.

“In a response he conceded, ‘this reduction in the volume of civil forest works is a temporary variation’, and while he has committed to work returning at a later date, the failure to inform these businesses of the cutbacks is extremely damaging.

“In addition to this, with the state of fuel loads in our bush, we should not be reducing any fire mitigation services.

“My office has been contacted by many of these businesses asking why they have not received one single contract. The Minister should have directed his department to communicate openly so these local businesses would be aware.

“At a time when Labor is boasting about employment figures, it continues to put regional jobs on the chopping block.

Labor can’t manage money, doesn’t care about regional jobs, and cannot manage its public land,” Mr Bull said.

Tuesday, 28 January 2025

Published in Media
Tuesday, 28 January 2025 09:43

Reimbursement delays not acceptable

Patients travelling to from East Gippsland to Melbourne for urgent medical care are being forced to wait more than three months for reimbursement by the Allan Labor Government, a timeline labelled as ‘completely unacceptable’.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said the reimbursements under the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) were so slow, patients were often having to undertake further trips without having been compensated for prior trips.

“Jacinta Allan is leading the highest taxing government in the State and has plunged many families into a cost-of-living crisis. The least she can do is ensure reimbursements for health-related travel are delivered on time,” Mr Bull said.

VPTAS provides financial support to patients living in rural Victoria, who are forced to travel 100 kilometres or more to access specialist medical care.

The program covers travel costs and subsidises necessary overnight accommodation, which is often required due to the distances needed to travel.

Mr Bull said the benchmark for reimbursements was six to eight weeks, but some patients have been waiting over four months and they simply cannot afford to carry that debt.

“Vulnerable families should not be left out of pocket and have to worry about this added financial stress due to inept public service departments,” he said.

“If the issue is staffing, then the government must act immediately to ensure the department is properly resourced.

“Health Minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, must take immediate action to address the backlog and keep to the already lengthy reimbursement timelines.

“Patients shouldn’t be forced to choose between putting food on the table and accessing essential medical care.

“Labor MP’s constantly stand in Parliament, reading from their prepared notes, saying they look after country Victoria. There are so many examples where this is not the case. They consider Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong country Victoria, but seem to have a little care factor anywhere beyond that,” Mr Bull said.

Monday, 28 January 2025

Published in Media
Monday, 20 January 2025 10:52

Remembrance grants available

Returned and Services League (RSL) sub-branches across the region are being asked to apply for the latest round of funding made available to assist with restoring community war memorials, avenues of honour and capital works to upgrade RSL facilities.

Gippsland East Nationals MP and Shadow Minister for Veterans, Tim Bull, said grants of up to $30,000 are available to restore war memorials and avenues of honour, while there is up to $50,000 on offer for capital works to build or improve spaces that deliver services to veterans and their families.

“We will be forever grateful for those who have served for their country and our memorials honour those brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” Mr Bull said.

“As Shadow Minister for Veterans, I take great pride in researching and learning the stories of our soldiers (both historical and contemporary), so that future generations not exposed to war on home soil, can thank these brave souls for their service.

“Our RSLs do an amazing job supporting families and veterans through a range of different support services and initiatives. I highly encourage our local sub-branches to consider applying for this funding opportunity.”

The Veterans Capital Works and Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour grant programs close on February 3, 2025.

More information on the application process, eligibility and assessment criteria can be found at:

https://www.vic.gov.au/grants-support-and-commemorate-veterans

https://www.vic.gov.au/veterans-capital-works-grant-program

Published in Media
Monday, 20 January 2025 10:33

Labor’s free camping blunder

Labor needs to revisit its free camping initiative according to Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, who said the outcome was less people enjoying the outdoors due to ‘ghost camping’.

“When this announcement was made, sites were booked under a ‘just in case we decide to go’ scenario and in some cases different family members booked sites in different locations so they could have a choice when holiday time arrived,” said Mr Bull.

“This resulted in many camp sites being left vacant over the busiest time of the year as families were denied and local communities who rely on campers to boost the local economy were impacted.

“In Queensland, campers cop a $322 fine if they are found to have double booked sites, do not turn up, or leave their tents unattended for an extended period, but in Victoria, we just allow it to happen.

“I am astounded Premier Allan and Environment Minister Dimopoulos, who announced this policy, did not have the wherewithal between them to envisage this would occur.

“One example at Corringle Foreshore Campground in East Gippsland is, all 24 sites were booked and unavailable throughout the period but at times 8-10 were not utilised for entire weeks despite all being booked on-line. This, while others could not get a site,” said Mr Bull.

“It was similar at many other camping areas where those who successfully secured bookings said sites around them remained vacant for the entire week despite showing as booked.

“The extent of the problem can be seen by simply driving around our camp sites at peak time. Parks Victoria staff know about it, but those higher up the chain won’t listen as it is a popular policy to announce on face value.
“There is very good reason people are either asked to pay a deposit, or there is a punishment involved,” he said.

“The Queensland government recognised the issue and acted, while down here in Victoria, we just allow it to occur. The bottom line is if you are going to introduce free camping you must at the same time have a punishment for those who abuse the system and wreck it for others,” he said.

Shadow Minister for Public Land Management and Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, said it is unsurprising Labor has created the ghost camping problem due to its own negligence.

“National Park camping fees were already low so there was no need for the Allan Government to make them free, and after cutting $94 million of funding from Parks Victoria and with job losses experienced, there are simply inadequate resources and staff available to manage site booking and monitor camping no shows.

“Labor can’t manage our national parks, can’t manage money and regional Victorians are paying the price,” said Ms Bath.

Monday, 20 January 2025

Published in Media
Monday, 13 January 2025 10:47

Clear our fire access tracks

Having requested the abysmal condition of Rivermouth Road, Eagle Point, be addressed prior to Christmas in Parliament, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, is pleased his call had been answered, but said attention must now be turned to the unmaintained fire access tracks in the region.

“Unfortunately, we have fire access tracks across the region not maintained and when we get fire in the landscape, it will be problematic for our fire fighting vehicles,” Mr Bull said.

“In the last sitting week of Parliament, I raised the concern our panel of contract workers who are used to maintain these tracks, in many cases had simply not been engaged this year.

“This is on top of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) budget being cut, government Forest Fire Management workers being reduced and the required amount of fuel reduction burning having not been achieved.

“It is another case of the Allan Labor Government that has got itself in so much financial strife, it’s trying to penny pinch, but what it does is makes us more vulnerable.

“They have a debt forecast to hit $187 billion with repayments on interest alone of $26 million a day and now we have the Treasurer who has overseen this debacle riding off into the sunset.

“Despite the work on Rivermouth Road having been completed, I also want the Minister to confirm he has no intention to close it to vehicular traffic.

“More than once over recent years, Parks Victoria has sought to close the road to vehicular traffic, stating it does not have the funds to maintain it, so we just need that confirmed and that is the question I have asked.”

Caption: Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, is pleased Rivermouth Road has been repaired prior to Christmas, now he wants the Government to start clearing the bush fire access tracks, like this one in the Colquhoun State Forest.

Monday, 30 December 2024

Published in Media
Monday, 13 January 2025 10:42

Hollow promises five years on

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the 2019/20 East Gippsland fires and it is timely to recap on what has not yet been rebuilt as promised when then Premier Daniel Andrews said he would “walk with us every step of the way” in our recovery.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said it is typical of the disdain shown by this Government to all of rural and regional Victoria, not just East Gippsland, with roads falling to pieces state-wide and only 13 per cent of infrastructure funding spent in the regions, which have 25 per cent of the population.

Cape Conran Cabins
In mid-2020, the former Minister for Environment, Lily D’Ambrosio, said the cabins would be rebuilt ‘soon’ and the rebuild will be ‘bigger and better’. However, final plans saw the number of cabins reduced from 13 to 10. So far, we have been given three completion dates and, five years on, construction has not yet started.

Thurra River Bridge
Half a decade on this has not been completed, meaning we miss another summer of access to iconic Point Hicks and the second biggest campground in the region at Thurra River. Forty years ago, a bridge was built there in 12 months that survived the test of time. This was a tourism priority for the local community that is frustratingly still some time off completion.

Mallacoota jetties
A total of $2.8 million was allocated to repair jetties around Mallacoota Lake in 2020. In 2023 we were told Parks Victoria was ‘working through the regulatory approvals process for construction to commence and we envisage it will commence in mid-2024’.
Construction has not yet commenced.

Marlo - Conran bike path
In August 2020, Minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced $13.5 million for construction of a bike path, as well as potable water supply to Cape Conran. Neither of these projects has commenced.

Walking tracks
A number of tourist walks remain closed in East Gippsland from both the fires and flood damage sustained in 2022. These include Dunes Track, Saros Track, Sledge Track, the Wingan Inlet Rapids Walk and Betka Track, just to name a few.

Despite seeking timelines from the Minister, none have been given, raising concerns some will not be re-opened under this Government.

In addition to the above, we have a new Minister who will not provide any timelines and a Treasurer that has ridden off into the sunset leaving us with a debt to hit $187 billion, interest repayments of $26 million per day (more than $1 million per hour) and little to show for it with our roads falling to pieces and a health system in crisis.

Despite this, it is time for the Government to deliver what it promised to our region to show these announcements were not just a press release and photo opportunity.

Monday, 6 January 2025

Published in Media
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