Dan Tehan - Member for Wannon
Anzac Day is always a deeply meaningful occasion, and it is heartening to see the Anzac legacy upheld so strongly across our region.
Throughout the Southern Grampians, including in Hamilton, locals came together to honour the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing with dawn services, marches and commemorations that reflect the enduring spirit of remembrance.
I was grateful for the opportunity to participate in events across Wannon. While I attended services in other parts of the electorate, the strong turnout and deep respect shown in towns like Hamilton for those who have defended our nation and who continue to serve, speak volumes about the character of our community.
Road safety remains a top priority across our region, and I welcome the recent announcement of the $4.5 million investment under the Black Spot Program to address dangerous locations in our electorate including Birregurra, Anglesea, Stoneleigh and Wurdiboluc. These are well-known high-risk areas and these targeted upgrades will deliver practical improvements to help keep locals and visitors safe.
Community input has been crucial in identifying these sites and securing funding. Too many families in our region have felt the devastating impact of road accidents, and in some cases, lives have been lost on roads that simply weren’t up to standard. That is not acceptable.
I will continue to push hard for further investment to fix dangerous roads in our region including for the Hamilton Highway, the Princes Highway West and the Henty Highway. These corridors carry significant volumes of freight and heavy transport and have been severely damaged in many areas, increasing risks for all road users.
While the recent funding announcement is a strong step forward, there is more work to be done to ensure our regional communities have the safe roads they deserve.
The unfolding fuel disruption linked to conflict in the Gulf has underscored just how vulnerable Australia remains to global supply shocks. As shortages ripple through supply chains, it is clear that fuel security is not a distant policy concern but an immediate national priority.
The Coalition has put forward a practical plan to strengthen resilience by more than doubling Australia’s minimum fuel reserves to 60 days and investing $800 million in new onshore storage capacity. This approach builds on proven measures like the Minimum Stockholding Obligation while addressing critical gaps exposed by the current crisis.
Ensuring reliable access to fuel means businesses can keep operating, supermarket shelves can remain stocked, and essential transport and logistics networks can continue running. Strengthening our reserves now is a necessary step toward safeguarding Australia against future disruptions.
As Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, last week I led a cross-party parliamentary delegation to Taiwan, continuing more than four decades of parliamentary engagement aimed at strengthening the partnership between our two countries.
A key focus of the discussions was the importance of Taiwan as a critical energy partner for Australia, particularly as a significant supplier of refined fuels including diesel and jet fuel.
In 2024 alone, Australia imported around $3.6 billion worth of refined petroleum from Taiwan, highlighting just how important this relationship is to our fuel security and economic resilience.
These meetings reinforced the value of stable, reliable trade relationships in a region where supply chains are increasingly under pressure.
For Australia, and for regional economies more broadly, maintaining strong engagement with partners like Taiwan is essential to ensuring continued energy security and supporting long-term economic growth.
ENDS
Contact: Sandie Gustus M | 0408 564 232 E | sandie.gustus@aph.gov.au
Published in the Hamilton Spectator
