Fix our roads, don’t lower the speed limit

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The Andrews Labor Government is continuing its program of reducing speed limits on country roads, with permanent 80km/h speed restrictions signs being erected on the Wimmera Highway at Vectis. The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy is outraged that Labor is pursuing its slash speed limit policy, instead of listening to community calls to fix…

Landholders rally to scrap camping regulations

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The Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy joined hundreds of landholders from across Victoria on the steps of Parliament rallying against the Andrews Government’s flawed camping regulations.  The rally came just days after the Victorian Nationals passed an urgent motion at the party’s state conference condemning the Andrews Government for its policy.  “If The Nationals…

Budget falls short on Wimmera mental health supports

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Member for Lowan Emma Kealy is outraged the government has cut a critical mental health outreach program in a budget that purports to be focussed on improving mental health support. The 2021-22 State Budget tabled yesterday made no mention of funding to continue the well-established and proven Rural Outreach Program, which operates through Wimmera Primary…

More rail freight scheme funding cuts

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The Andrews Labor Government has again taken the razor to the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme (MSIS), meaning more trucks on crumbling country roads and the suburban streets around the Port of Melbourne. The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy said the Minister for Ports and Freight snuck out an announcement last Friday evening saying that…

Funding security critical for Rural Outreach Program

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The Rural Outreach Program operating in the Wimmera Southern Mallee is again facing an uncertain future, with funding due to run out at the end of next month. The Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy is calling on the Andrews Labor Government to provide ongoing funding certainty for the program in next week’s State Budget.…

Funding splash for water play park

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Long, hot summers in the Wimmera are about to get a whole lot cooler with funding confirmed for a water play park in Horsham. The multi-million-dollar project, which has been years in the making, will be built on the banks of the Wimmera River after Horsham Rural City Council secured $2.1 million through the state…

Don’t lower speed limits, fix rural roads

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The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy is calling on the Andrews Labor Government to use next week’s State Budget to commit to a significant spend to get rural and regional roads up to scratch. The call follows the RACV’s public support for lowering speed limits on regional back roads, an idea that Ms Kealy…

Government must rethink cross-border permit system

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Member for Lowan Emma Kealy has taken the government to task in Parliament over the continued requirement for Victorian cross border community members to reapply for a border permits every fortnight. Ms Kealy last week asked the Minister for Health to explain why Victorian cross-border community members have been stuck with an onerous system for…

Overwhelming response to hospital petition

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A petitION AGainst the proposed amalgamation of Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services has received enormous community support. Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy launched the petition three weeks ago following widespread community outcry about the proposal. Petition forms bearing more than 1500 signatures have already been returned to Ms Kealy’s electorate office…