On or before May 17, the country will decide who will govern Australia for the next three years.
Here are some facts to bear in mind when thinking about how to make your vote count.
According to the Parliamentary Library, Wannon has received $694 million in federal funding since 2016, far more than our neighbours Corangamite ($427 million) and Mallee ($651 million).
This funding has supported vital local projects—strengthening businesses, improving education, expanding healthcare and enhancing community infrastructure.
Last week for example, I visited the Beaufort Historical Society, a recipient of a 2023–24 Volunteer Grant. The grant allowed the purchase of a storage cabinet to safeguard rare documents, including a town map that dates back to the 1800s, detailing Beaufort’s early development.
The Beaufort Historical Society plays a vital role in providing community members with the resources to trace family histories, investigate dwellings and locate historical information. Grants such as this allow the society to continue its work as custodians of the past, ensuring it’s accessible for generations to come.
The Beaufort Historical Society is just one of hundreds of community organisations that have received and benefitted from discretionary funding since I was elected.
I’ve also worked with locals to upgrade the Beaufort Lake Foreshore and the Beaufort bike and walking paths, to upgrade power to the Recreation Reserve, and to assist the Beaufort Community Veggie Patch among other projects.
In Ararat, I’ve worked with locals to restore the Boer War Memorial Fountain, and to upgrade Alexandra Oval, the Gordon Street Recreation Reserve and the Arts Precinct.
I am now focused on delivering a Headspace for Ararat, as I already have for Warrnambool, Colac, Portland and Hamilton. The Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, joined me in Ararat in January to advocate for this much-needed service.
I have also delivered over $1 billion dollars for Wannon’s roads, rail and air.
The issue we face with our roads is that the Victorian Labor Government and the Albanese Labor Government continue to prioritise Melbourne’s unaffordable Suburban Rail Loop at our expense.
The fact that both levels of government have cut funding and road maintenance funding in the last three years is nothing short of a disgrace.
Infrastructure funding, like the East Grampians Rural Water Pipeline project, relies on State Government being able to manage money and projects. Sadly, when it comes to the Victorian Labor Government, they are failing at both.
Facts matter in politics and no more so than in the lead up to a federal election.
ENDS
Published in the Ararat Advocate
