Council
18 April, 2024
Wide-range of issues raised as MP visits
COST of living, rising energy prices, the poor condition of roads and the prospect of a large offshore wind farm are among the biggest issues facing the community, according to Wannon MP Dan Tehan.
Mr Tehan held a listening post in Terang last Friday outside the post office, giving constituents an opportunity to raise their concerns and help to shape the electorate’s federal agenda moving forward.
Mr Tehan has been hosting listening posts across the region in recent weeks during the break in parliamentary sittings.
Speaking with Western District Newspapers, Mr Tehan said a good turnout of constituents had seen a diverse number of issues of concern raised.
“People want to know when they are going to get their $275 cut to electricity bills, which was promised by the Albanese Labor Government prior to the last election,” he said.
“They’re not seeing anything like that – just power prices going up and up and up.
“It’s a real concern, and people want to know when that’s going to change.
“It’s not only the cost of living but the cost of doing business as well, which has really been impacted.”
Mr Tehan said roads were a perpetual issue across not only Terang but the electorate in general, with fears the lack of government investment at the federal level would only worsen the deteriorating conditions which state funds were not adequately addressing.
“People want to make sure we put the money back in that has been taken away from our roads,” he said.
“They’re gutted by the fact we’ve had $20 million taken out of our roads, and they want a commitment which will put that money back in.
“Obviously our roads are deteriorating, and we need more money rather than less.”
Another issue to emerge was people in Terang expressing concern regarding the Federal Government’s decision to declare an off-shore wind farm zone off the coast of Warrnambool.
Mr Tehan has launched a petition to lobby against the decision amid rising fears development could impact marine life, tourism, recreational and commercial fishing, and general disruption to the amenity of the region.
He said he was not surprised that even inland communities shared these concerns, with the flowthrough of traffic to tourism destinations like Warrnambool and Port Fairy playing a role in Terang’s economic prosperity.
“Over 3000 people have signed the petition and we had a couple more today (last Friday) also wanting to sign, so we’ll be sure to send them that,” Mr Tehan said.
“People are really concerned, it’s an enormous number of signatures.
“People understand we have to transition to renewable energy, but they want to know why we’re being asked to do everything.
“Why all the transmission lines, all the wind farms, both on and off shore, fall here but if you go to Melbourne there’s nothing in Port Phillip Bay, there’s nothing anywhere around Melbourne – we’re being asked to do it all and people think it’s not fair.”