I enthusiastically met with locals on Thursday in Hopetoun in another round of mobile office visits to hear about the topics that matter to them most.  This coming week I am bringing the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell MP to the Wimmera to hear first-hand from local families about childcare deserts.

Hopetoun locals continue to struggle with the recent shutdown of their childcare and it is an all-too-common story across Mallee.  While some childcare services are opening soon in the region, there are a huge number of gaps in coverage that – left unaddressed – threaten the future viability of towns.  Mothers of pre-schoolers are struggling with the lack of childcare, or face the long drive twice daily to access childcare, and some families tell me they may leave the district if a solution isn’t reached soon.  It is my honour to bring Shadow Minister Bell to Mallee as the Coalition formulates policy that is not city-centric and will deliver meaningful outcomes for Mallee families.

Families are also struggling to buy their own home or the high rent costs.  The Coalition has pledged a $5 billion Housing Infrastructure Programme if we form government, to unlock 500,000 more homes nationwide through infrastructure grants and loans.  Home building nationwide has stalled due to a lack of funding for the essential enabling infrastructure, such as water, sewerage, telecommunications and roads.

Under the Albanese Labor Government, building approvals have fallen to their lowest level in over a decade, dropping 8.8 per cent to just 158,690 new starts in the last reporting year. The same Government brought in over 1,000,000 migrants in their first two years in office, yet only 350,000 homes have been constructed in that time.

The Coalition will freeze for 10 years any expansion of the National Construction Code, which imposes an extra $60,000 on the price of a new home.  We will further reduce red tape so that owning your first home is even more affordable.

On a return to Government, the Coalition’s strong record on housing and economic management will help families settle and thrive in Mallee.