Summer has arrived with gusto, with strong heat and tropical moisture causing havoc particularly for farmers.  I obtained a briefing from the Emergency Management Minister and Agency in the final sitting week in Canberra about the unique fire threat Mallee faces.  With heat, wind and increase fuel loads, I thank in advance our Country Fire Authority volunteers and landowners preventing and fighting fires.  Please be safe planning your Christmas holidays particularly if you might travel through or to fire-prone areas.

I visited Nyah and Manangatang on Wednesday and enjoyed meeting locals who raised their often sad and personal battles with bureaucracy, but cost-of-living is the number one concern. Prices have spiked since Mr Albanese became Prime Minister: Food costs are up 11.8 per cent, housing 11.7 per cent, rents 16.1 per cent, gas up 32.2 per cent, health up 10.4 per cent and education up 11.5 per cent.  Electricity is up 18 per cent and short-term bill relief isn’t the permanent $275 reduction Labor promised 97 times before the last election.

I also met with the newly elected Swan Hill Rural City councillors and visited Swan Hill District Health to walk through the new ED I fought hard for. Securing the infrastructure the region deserves is a long-term team effort across local, state and federal politics.

In a crazy final Canberra sitting fortnight, I drew national attention to the rapid creep of divisive cultural heritage bans after the Mount Arapiles controversy, in Mallee’s south.  Rock climbers have been banned from most of the Grampians’ international rock-climbing mecca, threatening the Natimuk community and Wimmera health services that rely on climbing-enthusiast doctors, nurses and other health professionals.  As Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health, I’ll always fight to halt our dire health workforce shortages.

Cultural heritage also cancelled the Mallee Rally at Sea Lake, which was Australia’s longest running off-road race.  I created the Arapiles Declaration, signed by senior Coalition Ministers, to declare that public land should be open to all – including Sea Lake off road area..  The Arapiles consultation has been re-opened, but it will take Coalition governments to get us back on track.

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