News Full Power: Baw Baw's new mayor // Page 3 15 November 2018
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Dig it! Like many gardeners in Baw Baw, Erynne Baynes, Peter Lennox, Joy Pentland, Julie Paterson, and Jeff Wallace are taking advantage of good spring weather. Along with hundreds of kids and adults, they have been tending to Warragul's Eastern Park Community Garden. Community gardens are open for everyone and every skill level; you can find out more about your local plot at growingtogetherbawbaw.org.au.
Road redirection
Lillico Road will change: councillors Warragul's Lillico Road is facing a major change as Baw Baw Shire prepares for several planned housing estates. By William Kulich @WillPJK
After over a year of consideration, votes, and public feedback, councillors last night passed a motion to redirect part of
Lillico road, although only with a narrow majority. Development of large housing estates near the road at its intersection with Eve Road (just downhill from its intersection with Brandy Creek Road) left the council looking for ways to make accessing and leaving new residential areas safer. Council officers recommended councillors approve the eventual
Affordable on-the-spot watch battery replacement 4 Smith Street, Warragul
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closure of a small section of Lillico Road near its bend at the bottom of the Brandy Creek Road hill. The road would be diverted to a new roundabout just west of the present alignment. Some local road users expressed concern the new alignment would make it difficult for trucks to navigate the road, and that visibility could be poor for small vehicles. But councillors who supported the
HAVE YOU GOT A WILL?
motion for closure said it was the best option given the circumstances. "We’ve been engaged in this as a council since 2017," Central ward councillor Joe Gauci told councillors on moving the motion. "The process has been pretty messy, with the (proposed) renaming, the discontinuance motion, it all Continue reading on Page 3
Visit our website or contact our office to discuss all your estate planning needs www.sjdlaw.com.au 1/1 Smith Street, Warragul stuart@sjdlaw.com.au
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Carlo
Ierfone Independent for Narracan Standing for our future Hi, I’m Carlo, and I’m here to be Narracan’s completely independent voice. I am contesting this election to get Gippsland the attention it needs. Ours is one of the fastest growing areas of Victoria, but our infrastructure and services are not keeping up with demand. Let’s fix it before we cannot cope. I’m a strong believer in creating jobs that use our region’s strengths, especially in power generation. We should bring our manufacturing, power, and logistics knowledge together to set up economically viable, job-creating renewable energies in the region. A modern, state-of-the-art West Gippsland Hospital is needed for our growing population, especially elder citizens who have and continue to contribute so generously for the betterment of the region. Gippsland is well placed to host Victoria’s major waste recycling centre, creating much-needed employment opportunities for present and future generations while cleaning up the state. I also stand for the reintroduction of motor vehicle registration stickers as a permanent reminder when payment is due. All this will only happen if we stand together and get to work for our future and the next generation.
MAKE YOU R VOTE COUN T
To maintain m y chosen to not full independence, I have suggest who you should give your prefe rences to. When filling o u paper, you m t your lower house ballot ust number E VERY BOX. Put a 1 in the b number the re ox next to my name, then maining boxe s in the order o f your choice. from 2 to 5
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LAMBDEN, Gus
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BLACKWOOD, G
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LIBERAL
HORNSTRA, Wil
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AUSTRALIAN G
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IERFONE, Carlo
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MAXFIELD, Chri
Authorised by C. Ierfone, 124 Loch St, Yarragon 3823
AUSTRALIAN LA
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15 November 2018
often, if there's a vote which is contested, you tend to be on the side with the fewest votes. MP: (laughs) No, it's not a surprise. I said to someone at some point last week that if you work hard for the community and with your fellow councillors, they can see you're genuine and you build up credibility. I think they have to have trust you're going to do a good job and represent the council well, and I think I've earned that this year.
New Baw Baw mayor Mikaela Power at the West Gippsland Arts Centre yesterday.
Full Power
Baw Baw, meet your new mayor: Central ward's Mikaela Power. Don't panic, you didn't miss a vote - Baw Baw's mayor and deputy mayor are chosen by councillors from among themselves. Mayors are chosen every year, in November, and last week's election was the first in three years which Central ward's Joe Gauci didn't win. (He told us last year it would be his last term in the job, so no surprises there!) Fellow Central ward councillor Danny Goss was returned for his second year running in the ceremonial deputy mayor role. So what is the new mayor keen to do in the next 12 months?
We sat down with Cr Power yesterday to find out.
Baw Baw Citizen: Is this something you wanted since you came onto the council? Mikaela Power: I think I started thinking about it towards the end of last term, and definitely at the beginning of this term. There have been ongoing discussions, but Joe's been a really good mayor for the past [three years] and had the councillors' support, and my opportunity has come around this time and I have councillor support. BBC: Is it a surprise you got councillor support? Quite
BBC: What was it that made you want the position? MP: No one's asked me that before. It seemed like the next logical step. It does give you an opportunity to speak to a broader range of people, which is good. All the councillors are advocates for the council, but the mayor, and the deputy mayor to some extent, are advocates directly with levels of government and we really need to keep working on that to get things that Baw Baw really badly needs. BBC: So you feel like you're doing more in the role? MP: Yep.
BBC: Do you have any priorities or things you're really keen to work on going into this role? MP: Council is working on our advocacy priorities at the moment, mainly because most of them have been successful. They're things like health and education, which are I guess a personal priority for me, but also they're services this area badly needs, and we need to be better
Lillico Road will change: councillors
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serviced by what we have. We have some great providers here, but with the number of people moving into the area and their expectations, the services are really important. And it's not only people moving into new housing, but also people moving here to retire. There's public transport, which we've spoken about before, and also perhaps more typically 'council things' like waste management and roads which attract a keen interest from me and the other councillors.
BBC: Is it frustrating that the mayoral change happened so close to the state election? I can't imagine it's all that useful to land in the position in the middle of Narracan's vote. MP: I guess it could be frustrating, but you can't change things like that so you just make the best of it.
BBC: How have people responded so far? MP: They've been really supportive. I've been surprised, it's been lovely, I've had messages from all over the place. I think many women really identify with the fact we've got a female mayor, and I've heard people say 'you've got to see it to be it,' and two kids who are friends of my kids came up and said 'wow, that's really good!' Everyone has the image of a male mayor, and that's not to denigrate male mayors, but there are fewer female mayors. It is a good thing for people of all ages to see that all sorts of people can be mayor.
Baw Baw bits
A wrap of our favourite local finds on the web
Dumb dump
The latest photo from anonymous Twitter account West Gippsland Waffle (above) is total trash. Literally. Waffle has tweeted about illegal public rubbish dumping in Baw Baw several times, but the perps this time... well... made investigations easy. The Baw Baw Shire and Sustainability Victoria have been busy installing CCTV in dumping hotspots to help deter and catch those tempted to abandon their waste in public. It's a surprisingly large issue, which along with damage to amenity costs the council over $22,000 per year in clean-up bills. Waffle's tweet shows a ruined couch was dumped right in front of one of the cameras. You can see in the photo the camera is just metres away. A Baw Baw Shire spokesperson replied to the tweet, confirming "we've got the footage ;)".
Continued from Page 1
could have been done a better way. "I am fully confident… the information we have got is right "Every time these questions came forward, councillors pushed hard on our officers to [prove their case]. "We had situations where we had councillors driving their trucks around the roundabout or watching traffic." Cr Gauci said this was a decision which needed to be made now for the not-so-distant future of the site. "I'm not talking about Warragul now, I’m talking about Warragul in 15-20 years time when that whole farming area will be residential zone," he said. "This is a small part of that overall picture going forward. "Whether we like it or not, change is here. This is only the first little pocket of residential that’s started." The motion put to councillors was amended at the last minute by East ward councillor Michael Leaney. The amendment added the requirement that physical closure of the section of road not take place until a planned, all-new road connection linking the roundabout to Dollaburn Road is completed. Gauci and Leaney's support was backed by West ward councillors Keith Cook and Tricia Jones, and East ward's Peter Kostos and Darren Wallace. Central ward's Mikaela Power and Danny Goss, and West ward's Jessica O'Donnell voted against. Explaining why he was voting against the motion, Cr Goss referenced an alternative intersection design put forward by former Warragul Shire engineer Gerry Prestney which would have kept the small section of Lillico Road open. "While it wasn’t the back of the envelope type drawing, it wasn’t a sophisticated plan," Cr Goss said. "That made me think, with a little more
work, we could have done a little more to alleviate the issues we heard about." Cr Jones later responded to the alternative design, saying "the council engineers have shown that while those designs have merits, they don’t [meet requirements]." In their report, council officers stated the new connector to Dollaburn Road was expected to become the new main collector road in the area. Reflecting on the changes coming to the site, Cr Cook reflected on the history of the area. "In 1930, people in the area could hear a steam train whistle as a [loco] came up to load potatoes," he said. "Move forward 100 years to 2030, [you will see] houses. "I’m not happy about houses on this beautiful farmland. "I think the intersection is right when you consider it in the environment. "We did make a decision on 28 March to close the road and I see no reason to change."
2018 has been a big year. Come celebrate with us - we’re shouting everyone a sausage in bread to support Warragul Lions Club! Limit one per person unless making donation to Warragul Lions Club. While stocks last.
Friday 23 November 2018
6 Smith Street, Warragul. Details on our Facebook
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15 November 2018
NARRACAN 2018
Find all our Narracan 2018 interviews and coverage online! Looking for our interviews with Labor's Christine Maxfield, independent Carlo Ierfone, and local upper house candidate Michael Fozard? We started covering Narracan 2018 in May, and we have a wealth of information to help you decide who to vote for this election. Visit bbcit.co/narracan18 for previous interviews and stories, as well as the latest updates. We will continue our coverage online, right through to the result. Subscribe at bbcit.co/email.
About BBC Issue number: 54 Publishng 5,000 copies monthly Publisher/ Editor/ Designer William PJ Kulich The publisher takes responsibility for political editorial published in this paper. Uncredited articles, photos, and editorial graphics are by the editor. Exception: dumped rubbish image on Page 3, which was supplied via Twitter and used with permission. FormerlyWarragul & Baw Baw Citizen
Contact us Mail PO BOX 1111, Warragul, Victoria, 3820 Social media @BawBawCitizen Email (all matters) admin@fpress.com.au Read online www.bbcitizen.com.au
New schedule Keen readers might have noticed this edition comes to you a week later than first planned. Fortnightly releases have become a little too much for the oneperson team behind the Baw Baw Citizen's production and delivery. We'll be coming to you monthly until the end of the year.
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Hospital promise key to Blackwood's campaign LIBERALS • This month's state election is Gary Blackwood's to lose in Narracan. Having won over 55 per cent of first preferences at the last election, the Liberal candidate who won the seat from Labor in 2006 is in a good position to win his fourth term. Mr Blackwood spoke to us about his campaign on Tuesday. CAMPAIGNING Baw Baw Citizen: How do you feel heading into the election? Gary Blackwood: Look, start of 2006 we were 6.8 per cent behind. We didn't give ourselves a big chance, but we tried as hard as we could. Obviously what we did during that campaign worked very well, so we've tried to not forget what worked in 2006 and our campaign today is not much different to then in terms of the way we communicate with the community. But the work really is done during the four years prior to the election. You really are quietly in reelection mode as soon as you are reelected, so you've got to make sure you cover all your bases. We've got a map of the electorate here in the office that we put pins in where I've been to, so we know we're giving every small community a fair share of my time and making sure we pick up on all of the electorate, as well as if there are any specific issues in those areas we address those as well. It's all about lifting your profile. So probably all the things we did leading up to 2006 we continue to do this election. There's a new campaigning tool the party's using called i360, which they're using in marginal seats, which is really about targeting the swinging voter and dealing with them with the issues that are important to them. I think if that works really well we're a really good chance. (Indeed - i360 was used by the Liberals in their winning South Australian election campaign earlier this year.)
BBC: So i360 is being used in Narracan? GB: It hasn't been used extensively in this seat. We've been engaged in the data collection that backs up that program. Anybody who contacts [us] about an issue, whether it be by email or phone or meeting, has information [about them] kept. Then when the election comes around, any policy announcements we make on those issues that are important to them, we contact them. It's about engaging with them. If you can identify them as swinging voters in particular, you definitely try to target them with those issues that are of importance to them... by email, text message, or even a phone call. There are those 20 - 30 per cent of people who are tagged as swinging voters who are probably undecided, those are the ones you try to concentrate on. You target your resources more than spreading it electorate-wide. WEST GIPPSLAND HOSPITAL BBC: What do you identify as the key issues this election? GB: The key issue in this electorate, in my view, is certainly the West Gippsland Hospital. It's interesting Labor are saying we don't need a new hospital; that
flies in the face of the research and studies done by the hospital.
BBC: We spoke with Labor candidate Christine Maxfield last issue, and she said she supported a new hospital but its funding would be considered in the wider context of healthcare in West Gippsland. GB: Well, what they're saying is we can rebuild on the current site and people can still drive from Warragul to the Latrobe Valley or Casey to get any services we can't provide. We won't accept that. The current site has 27 acres, the new site has 60 acres. We have a population now of around 50,000, which will grow to 100,000 by 2030, 40, 50, who knows when but certainly quickly. If you really look into the future, as well as current unmet need in the area, you would think it would be logical to build a new hospital on the greenfield site. If you do it that way you don't need a disruption that could be over 10 or 12 years on the current site, you're able to put in at least a flat car park, but more importantly you're able to actually build a facility that can cater for all the services we will need now and into the future. The greenfield site is the way to go. [Liberal party leader] Matthew Guy was able to make that decision over two years ago, and so did the shadow minister for health, because they could see the projected growth for the area and the pressure the hospital's currently under. When we were in government in 2010 we doubled the size of the emergency department, and it probably wasn't big enough the day it was opened. BBC: On that front, you have had a period in government in recent history. Obviously the urgency for a new hospital is greater now, but what action did you take in that four years to get the hospital moved to the chosen new site? That move has been in the hospital's plans for a long time. GB: The new site was purchased in 2006. We had conversations with the hospital board between 2010 and 2014 about what their needs were going to be, and you'll also understand that during that period Plan Melbourne was produced by Matthew Guy and that included a strong reference to the growth in population in the Warragul/Drouin corridor. We worked very hard to address the immediate needs, which was the emergency department, so that was a pre-election commitment we made which was delivered. But it was toward the end of that period that the hospital then started to focus on [the move]. The focus on building a new hospital didn't really come on until late in that term. Then Labor committed more money to the planning work when they came to office, which was great, and that planning work has been done. That included a feasibility study and business case for both sites. That information hasn't been released publicly, but I know it clearly stacks up in favour of the greenfield site. BBC: Does the policy announced a couple of years ago actually guarantee a new hospital on the greenfield site under a Guy
Gary Blackwood in Warragul on Tuesday.
government? GB: Absolutely. Matthew's exact words were we would fund the commencement of construction in the first budget, 2019. His words to me have been 'Gary, we will open that hospital prior to the 2022 election.' EXTRA-FAST RAIL BBC: The Liberal party policy of super-fast regional trains seems a bit pie in the sky at the moment for this line, which has always had issues being caught up in busy metropolitan tracks. GB: The regional rail plan Bracks commenced and Brumby signed off in 2009, up until 2009 Gippsland was in that plan to have a genuine track in. But based on the costings, it was going to cost around $1 billion for land acquisition to go in above ground. That was the reason it was dropped off. Every other regional centre got its own line in, but Gippsland was dropped off. Labor's current plan still doesn't give us a dedicated plan through that corridor.
BBC: But at the same time, the Liberal party's plan vaguely states a dedicated line will be put in, but doesn't actually say how. GB: That's right, because we've announced $8 million for a business case to be developed about what are the options for going through that corridor. We will be looking at all of the options available to us. Above ground, tunnel, and it might even be a different route. Because it is so complex to get through that corridor, we need to spend a decent amount of time to look at all the options. The contentious piece of track is between Dandenong and Caulfield. The sky rail easement is not wide enough for a third and fourth track, so we've got to look at other options, whether it be land acquisition to make that corridor wider, which would be very expensive, or tunnelling, or a different route. It's a 10-year plan. The business case work will start immediately when we come to government. Over the next period, probably
three to four years, the upgrade of the track between Bairnsdale and Traralgon (from 110km/h to 160km/h) and from Traralgon to Pakenham (from 160km/h to 200km/h), will be undertaken. By the time that work's completed we will [have] the business case.
BBC: What kind of timeframe are we looking at, in your mind, for additional track to be put in close to the city? GB: Ten years. BBC: Labor's Christine Maxfield suggested in our interview with her last month that to achieve promised travel times of just over an hour from Traralgon, you'll be skipping stations such as Drouin. GB: That's a valid point. If you're going to address the peak hour time, there's probably going to be one or two services in the peak hour that will leave Traralgon, stop at Morwell, Moe, Warragul, and then express into the city, and coming home at night. But all the other services will still stop at all stations.
SUMMING UP We took the chance to follow up on a few announcements Mr Blackwood has made in recent months. Mr Blackwood says there has been a "really good" community response to the promised $6 million upgrade to the Drouin Police Station. We also asked whether there were any more details about the $3 million promised to Neerim District Secondary College for undefined projects. Mr Blackwood stuck with the vague detail given at the time of the announcement, which was it would be targeted at the older part of the school. Mr Blackwood also confirmed he was comfortable in his position as the Liberals' candidate for Narracan, having had his preselection challenged mid-term. Speaking of challenges, we asked if Mr Blackwood thought the Victorian Liberals suffered the same divisions federal MPs have shown in recent months with the toppling of Malcolm Turnbull as leader and prime minister. Unsurprisingly, he said no.
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15 November 2018
NARRACAN 2018
Hornstra contests Narracan
Guss Lambden goes to war
GREENS • Back in August we met newly pre-selected Greens candidate for the federal seat of Monash William Hornstra. Since then, the Moe-based recent Trafalgar High School graduate has also been chosen as the party's candidate for the state seat of Narracan. We caught up with him to discuss his campaign.
INDEPENDENT • Former Latrobe City Council candidate Guss Lambden has turned his focus to state politics and is standing as an independent candidate for Narracan. The Moe man is a former military combat systems operator, and this background has shaped many of his policies. We spoke with Guss earlier this week and asked what prompted him to stand for parliament.
CAMPAIGNING
Baw Baw Citizen: Last time we spoke you were the Greens' newly preselected candidate for the federal seat of Monash, your're now also the candidate for Narracan. What happened? William Hornstra: I always had ambitions to run for Narracan, however a good friend of mine, my campaign manager, also wanted to run. I let her run, but she ended up being elected as a councillor in South Gippsland, and when you're a councillor you can't run as a state candidate. She asked if I wanted to do it and I said yes. It was a bit of a roundabout thing.
BBC: Do you see many parallels between your federal and state campaigning? WH: A few. There's a lot of dissatisfaction with both [parliaments]. There's also a lot of overlapping, like the issues of education and health. They're both big issues in the electorate and both of those are managed by federal and state governments. However, state governments I find have more local matters, like the West Gippsland Hospital and the Gippsland train line, while the federal campaign is more about bigger ticket items like services. BBC: You mentioned a couple of issues just then what are the big issues in this election for you? WH: Some of the big issues include forests, particularly in areas of Mirboo North and Noojee; the West Gippsland Hospital is another big issue; public transport; as well as, of course, climate change because, you know, it's happening and people have seen the drought. We need direction we're not getting with the major parties.
BBC: How have you found Narracan receiving your campaign so far? WH: It's the same as federal. Most people have been pretty positive, that's good. There are a lot of younger voters who are talking about it, even if they've forgotten to enrol to vote. And a lot of people, even if they wouldn't vote greens, are still, I guess, amazed by how I'm pretty young and yet standing up.
FORESTS
BBC: Earlier you mentioned forests, and by extension logging. With the Greens standing for the end of old growth logging, you're starkly at odds with the incumbent, Gary Blackwood, who has a history in the timber industry. There are also a fair few jobs in the local timber industry.
What kind of policies are you representing when it comes to forests? WH: When we're talking about forests, most of the time it's about logging against the community's wishes. The community has already said they don't want logging near their towns because they're worried about amenity, the loss of tourism, the loss of jobs, that kind of thing. VicForests and both the old parties are trying to ram it through, and the locals want another solution, and the Greens have provided that in the form of a transition plan for the logging industry and establishing more plantations. BBC: Outside of those communities and green groups, what kind of response has that policy had? Suggesting restrictions to logging can be a bit divisive in the region. WH: Yeah, it was quite divisive. A lot of people were concerned about jobs, like what would we do to address the job losses faced by those in the native timber industry? Because jobs are such a big issue in the area that was one of the major concerns.
BBC: And what would you do to protect those jobs? WH: Our transition plan would involve investing in more plantations, which of course would go a long way to replacing some of the jobs lost. And we would also argue that a lot of new jobs will be created in the transition as well, particularly with tourism. The Greens want to establish both the Great Forest National Park in the central highlands, and the Emerald Link in East Gippsland. We have also found that the native forests will disappear in five years if we do nothing anyway, so people will be without a job without any transition plan. BBC: How did you reach that five year figure, out of curiosity? WH: That is in our background paper, I'll get back to you with a source.
WEST GIPPSLAND HOSPITAL
BBC: Moving on to the second thing you mentioned, the West Gippsland Hospital. What is the Greens position on that one? WH: I personally support a new West Gippsland Hospital. I can understand people's frustration - they're very annoyed that because we're not a marginal seat the old parties have essentially ignored us... well, Labor has essentially ignored us. So our policy would take the politics out of hospital planning. We would establish an independent planning body to dedicate funding to new and upgraded hospitals based on need. And, of course, prevention is better than cure, so we would also provide $400 million to community health, and more investment in public dental and that kind of thing.
William Hornstra in Warragul.
RESPONSES
BBC: What issues have locals raised with you while campaigning? WH: I've had a few emails from locals. One person was concerned that if we made some areas of the state actual national parks they wouldn't be able to use them. People are also concerned about planning in Drouin and Warragul, the urban heat effect (temperatures being higher in more built up areas), and a lot of our green spaces being decimated by development. The hospital too is a major one. BBC: What was your response to the person concerned about, I assume, recreational use of a national park? WH: To be honest, I've asked state office and am waiting on a response. I'm not well versed on the national parks policy.
COAL POWER
BBC: We're close to the Latrobe Valley, and of course the environmental effects and potential closures of coal power stations is a big issue here. The Greens have a transition plan, but what does that actually involve? WH: We plan to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030. What that would involve for the Latrobe Valley is the staged closure of the coal-fired power stations. It would also involve expanding the role and size of Solar Victoria, which will be based in Morwell, which will include our plans for solar for everyone. As well as providing a transition to renewable energy, we would provide $300 million investment for battery storage in the Latrobe Valley, as well as $200 million public investment in pumped hydro (a dam being used to store potential hydro energy). We would also support new offshore wind projects [like one] based in South Gippsland.
BBC: Do you expect these projects to pick up most of the jobs that would be lost in the staged closures? WH: It's about being proactive, and the staged closures would mean people have time to plan for their next job, education, and stuff. The projects would hopefully go some of the way to alleviating the job losses caused by the closures of the power stations, and our investment in the region would be a driver for economic growth which hopefully would create more jobs.
INTRODUCTIONS
Guss Lambden: I would normally be a Liberal voter myself, having come from a military background, but I guess like a lot of people at the moment I'm really disillusioned with the major parties. I believe we're neglected at both state and federal level, and you can see what the independents [achieve] at a federal level so I guess we're trying to replicate that at a state level. Baw Baw Citizen: By we, do you mean this region? GL: Yeah, I generally think the region as a whole has been neglected. I grew up in the area and moved away to join the military, but having been back for the last six years and as a resident and a homeowner myself I see that the place has stagnated and we're sort of going backwards instead or going forwards.
BBC: You said you're usually a Liberal voter. Were you on that party's conservative side, or were you more of a 'wet'? GL: I grew up in a Labor household in Morwell, which is a long-term Labor area. I spent most of my younger years in Morwell. Probably on the military side you tend to have a Liberal leaning because of the way they look after the military, but obviously now I'm taking a different stance completely. I'm very very passionate about being an independent in the election. BBC: What was your military background? GL: I was a combat systems operator, or radar operator. I didn't actually serve in a conflict zone. I assisted vessels in my employment, travelled overseas, worked a lot with foreign shipping and also prepared other Australian ships to go off to Iraq and Afghanistan.
BBC: This isn't your first time looking to enter politics - you've stood for Latrobe City Council in the past. GL: That's right. I stood as a West ward councillor in 2016. I was unsuccessful, but up against some very very good candidates from the Moe area who were very well known. I learned a lot out of that, and this is obviously a major step up from that. I've had good support from the likes of Russell Northe and Tracie Lund (both running as independents for the seat of Morwell) and previous state candidates, as well as Michael
Fozard (a local independent upper house candidate) himself.
BBC: Politically, do you find you identify with people like Northe? GL: I can definitely relate to both Russell and Tracie, because they're both very community-minded people and I like to think of myself as community minded as well. Having grown up here and, okay, I did move away for a while, but the heart's always here. It's where I've grown up and where my family have spent the majority of their life. I'm very passionate about the region. Russell and Tracie are very down to earth and have the best interests of the area at heart.
ISSUES
BBC: What are your key issues heading into this election? GL: The key issues really are, without a doubt, the West Gippsland Hospital. They've got a green (sic) site ready to build. My thoughts are both Labor and Liberal won't build the new hospital, and I believe that opens up a massive opportunity for an independent like myself and Carlo to take a lot of votes off Liberal and Labor. Obviously public transport's another one. Our public transport system's in massive need of an upheaval. We've been promised, I think, by the state and federal governments over a 20 year period a very fast train. It hasn't come to fruition, and I don't see it will in the short term again with all the level crossing work they've been doing, unless we get our separate line for Gippsland. (Mr Lambden is likely referring to national high speed rail, not the new state fast train policy from the Victorian opposition.) The CFA's another massive one. Any thought you could actually get rid of the CFA is just ludicrous because it's...
BBC: I don't think anyone's actually seeking to get rid of the CFA. (Mr Lambden is likely referring to a 2017 Andrews government decision to split the CFA into independent volunteer and paid firefighter groups.) GL: No, but even a restructure, however they're going to do it, it needs to be carefully considered because I think the current model, they're a very, very important part of our emergency services structure. We get rid of the CFA and come summertime our fire brigades will be under-resourced and way out of their depth.
JOBS
GL: Obviously employment is another key issue. Local jobs for local people I think is a big one. There's a lot of work being outsourced to interstate workers, overseas people brought in. Okay, where necessary that's fine, but we need to get the youth of Gippsland and Narracan employed. You get someone
Guss Lambden in Yarragon.
gainfully employed with a bit of purpose in their life and that's where all your social problems will disappear.
BBC: Have you actually heard from young people that they're missing out on these jobs, or are they just jobs young people don't necessarily want when there's better work potentially available? GL: I think there probably are cases where we are a bit fussy today. We probably think we are entitled to certain privileges as locals. But you still have to be the best candidate for the job and you have to present yourself well. One of the other issues I'll mention is that, being an ex-military member, if elected I would push very hard for a military recruitment centre in either Moe or Warragul. I see the military as a viable option for a young man or woman, as something different to tertiary education or a trade certificate. Whichever way you go, it gives another option.
ARMY FOR ALL?
BBC: Isn't it unusual for country towns like Warragul and Moe to have recruitment centres? Doesn't this usually happen in Melbourne? GL: Yeah, it generally happens in the city. There has been a centre in Sale and some regional centres do have a recruitment agency set up. I think it's something we could handle in Narracan.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
BBC: You listed a few issues - things like improving public transport. Do you know how you would improve those connections? GL: We've all been on trains that have been delayed and spent hours extra on trains than we think we should. I'd obviously be an advocate for change, but I'm sure we'd put in place some sort of plan with advice from the people on what they're looking for.
BBC: You're saying 'okay, we'll look for ways to improve it,' which is basically what the two major parties have been saying. How is what you're saying different? GL: It's a tough one, it's not an easy option. We may have to go to a separate line if that's a viable option. I understand it all comes down to dollars and cents and it's what's affordable. This is something that's been in the pipeline for 20+ years, it's well overdue.
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Checking out the renewed WGAC Rec • West Gippsland Arts Centre is back and better than ever! The iconic Warragul location was closed for around 20 months for major renovation works. Through adding a new balcony seating level, the venue's capacity has increased from 496 seats to 760. Compliance with modern accessibility standards was also an important goal, and the building now features a lift to make changing floors easier and safer. And then we have the stunning aesthetic makeover! Modern wood feature walls and motifs, floor-to-ceiling windows, and plenty of light connect inside and outside spaces almost seamlessly. Oh, and the view over Civic Park from the third storey of the public gallery is pretty neat too. (There's a public baby grand piano on that third floor too!) The wood used in the building isn't all just to look good. The acoustics of the theatre have reportedly warmed greatly thanks to new panelling, and sound reflective features enable everyone in the larger theatre to have a good experience. Baw Baw mayor Mikaela Power was at the opening concert, a performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on 1 November. "It was fantastic," Cr Power said. "I was at the front and it was an amazing experience, but I've also talked to lots of people who sat in other parts of the theatre and they loved it too. New outdoor spaces which link well with the inside have also been a hit, but you don't have to take our word for it. The building's reopening will be celebrated with a huge festival this Saturday from 9am. Head to wgac.com.au for details.
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NIGHTLIFE covers what's happening at Baw Baw's events, gigs, and clubs. If you want the Citizen at your event, email admin@fpress.com.au.
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WELCOME HOME
WEST GIPPSLAND ARTS CENTRE RE-OPENING FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2018
Enjoy a month of fantastic entertainment including a FREE community festival on Saturday 17 November starting from 9:00am: RE-OPENING CELEBRATION DAY - SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER - FREE EVENT!
Warragul Farmers Market and Arts Market in Civic Park | Roving performers | Food stalls Live music and entertainment in the forecourt by local musicians and schools | Warragul Municipal Band Official ribbon cutting ceremony (11:00am) | Family entertainment with ‘The Whale’s Tale’ Guided tours through the venue | Local artists and musicians | Family activities Gippsland Symphony Orchestra - Free concert (7:00pm - bookings essential) ...And lots more! For more information and a listing
of all events throughout November, visit: www.wgac.com.au or phone: 5624 2456
West Gippsland Arts Centre Corner of Smith and Albert Streets, Warragul 3820
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Gary BLACKWOOD mp Dear Narracan Voter, In recent months I’ve announced my commitment to deliver a number of local projects that are critical to our region, including; • New West Gippsland Hospital built between Drouin and Warragul; • High speed rail with a dedicated line for Gippsland so they are no longer stuck behind Metro trains; • Upgrades for local schools including Moe Albert Street Primary and Neerim District Secondary College; • Solar for all public schools and free school books for secondary school students; • New Police and Ambulance Stations in Drouin and CFA Station in Nar Nar Goon; • $7m drug and alcohol rehab accommodation centre in the Latrobe Valley; • Funding for Olivia’s Place for peri-natal support; and • Payroll Tax reduction to 1 per cent for Gippsland businesses. For 15 of the last 19 years Labor have been in Government, during that period Gippsland has been ignored. We have seen cost blow outs on almost every major project for the State including the Desal Plant, SkyRail, level crossing removals and they still refuse to fund a new West Gippsland Hospital or Fast Rail for Gippsland. The decision of the current Andrews Labor Government to triple coal royalties contributed to the closure of Hazelwood. With less competition in the market, power prices have skyrocketed threatening the viability of local businesses and placing undue pressure on family budgets. We must be mindful of the impact the Andrews Labor Government has had and could have on the prosperity of our region and the damage his alliance with the Greens will have on our employment and lifestyle opportunities. A Greens controlled hung Parliament would be catastrophic for Regional Victoria. The Greens push for reduced access to Public Land, will stop 4-wheel driving, trail-bike riding, hunting, fishing and close down our Native Timber Industry. They are also pushing for the closure of all power generation, that is not wind or solar, before there is a genuine base load power replacement. A Liberal National’s Coalition Government will not devastate our region and further undermine employment opportunities that have already taken a beating from the Andrews Labor Government. On November 24th you’ll again be given the opportunity to shape the future of our region. I’m proud of my 12 year record as your member of Parliament and, if I’m afforded that opportunity again, I look forward to working with you to deliver on these commitments I have made to our local community.
Sincerely,
Gary Blackwood MP
How to Vote LIBERAL for Narracan
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LAMBDEN, G
BLACKWOOD, Gary Liberal
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Number every box to make your vote count Authorised by Gary Blackwood, 3/24 Mason St, Warragul 3820
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15 November 2018
SPORT WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB they've been someone we (the football side of the club) want to follow because they've just been so enthusiastic about the move. They want to play better netball. "We've put a lot of effort into changing our structures and that sort of thing that we needed to do. It's actually quite a jump for our club, to go from Ellinbank League into the West Gippsland League. "The West Gippsland League seems to be just going to another level every year."
Dusties team ready for 2019: junior development officer Vin Rabl, Seniors coach Stephen Ryan, club president Dale Bainbridge, netball manager Stacey Lawry, and netball A Grade and head coach Rachel Chandler at Friday's event.
Dusties draw fresh faces for fierce competition Warragul Industrials footballers and netballers have met the people who will lead them into their new league. An informal meet and greet on Friday saw newly appointed coaches meet their teammates. The Dusties are hard at work preparing for their transition into the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition, away from long-time home the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League. The club regards the West Gippsand league as one with stronger sides than they've faced in the past, and coaches and players are already getting ready. "For the last up to 10 years we've
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certainly been a competitive side in the Ellinbank League, but we don't think [the transition is] going to be easy," club president Dale Bainbridge told the Baw Baw Citizen. "We've got a very good base of players from last year, [but] at the end of the day, no allusions. "The West Gippsland League has got very good sides and there are a lot of AFL players floating around, so it might take some time. "We're looking at it more as a three-to-five year plan. "The girls have done a great job. They've really, really grasped going into a better league, and
FOOTY The person charged with getting the senior footballers ready for that jump is Stephen Ryan. Ryan has extensive experience in playing and coaching. "Warragul... has been trying to get me here for a few years," he told the Baw Baw Citizen. "I've always kept saying no because I'd had enough of coaching, but after I had a year off it sort of got me enthused to do it again." Ryan said the challenge of bringing the Dusties into a new league was also a big part of the appeal. "They're going into a stronger league, which appealed to me," he explained. "It is a challenge, and it's my task to set the club up [in the league] as well because I have a little bit of experience. "It's not going to be easy next year, going into a better competition. But the club is set up pretty well off field as well." But how do you prepare a club for a transition to tougher games? "You've just got to make sure
they're ready for better than what they've been playing against," Ryan said. "They're going to come against bigger people, fitter people, and it's probably not so much talent as it is mentally getting them ready for what they're going to come across. "It's just [about the] game plan, and also getting them prepared for the situations they're going to be in come a Saturday. "It's just making sure that when they run out they're ready and prepared as best they can be." Ryan said the club's response to him had been "good so far." "What I see of the club off-field is really really good and run professionally," he said. "I think they're ready to go into a stronger league, and I think the players will, even though it won't be easy, find it a good challenge. "The players are excited, I think. I think they're looking forward to the challenge as well. You can play any sport, but to play against the best competition is always the best you can do. "The other Warragul club is in a stronger league as well, and I think it's time this club took the step to try and get in the same competition as them and show they're not the smaller brother of the town. One team is always seen as being stronger than the other; they have to show that is not the case." When asked if some Dusties v Gulls games could be used in pre-season prep, Ryan said it was a possibility. "We might have a practice match against them before the season
just to see where we're at," he said. "That's probably where they should be at." NETBALL The Dusties' netball side this year features netball manager Stacey Lawry and head coach Rachel Chandler, who will also coach A Grade. Like Ryan, Chandler is an outside coach. She has previously played five years in the Tasmanian Premier League, as well as a year in England and some time coaching Nilma Darnum in 2008/9. "I think having an outside coach will bring new ideas," Lawry explained. "We've had the same structures and that sort of stuff for years. I think Rachel will bring new ideas, new experiences, and hopefully new players as well." Chandler began her involvement with the club half way through last year. "It definitely has good vibes going, and moving into the Gippsland league is very exciting," she told the Baw Baw Citizen. "I guess I will bring a new professionalism and a really different, hard working ethic, that's what I'm about. "Something I hope the whole club will work towards, and I would like to instil, is being more united across the front, netball and football." Asked what that would involve, Chandler said: "just being a united club, doing more stuff together, supporting each other through everything, and doing all that stuff."
CONVEYANCING • COMMERCIAL LITIGATION • ESTATE PLANNING 1/1 Smith Street, Warragul stuart@sjdlaw.com.au
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