Deposit scheme ‘slap in face for regional businesses’

VICTORIA’S new container deposit scheme was an “opportunity wasted and another slap in the face of regional Victorian business”, according to member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh.

Mr Walsh says the contracts to run this long-overdue grassroots recycling scheme – which will now launch on November 1 –have gone to a company not based in Victoria but two multinationals.

He says there were several viable regional options to make this a local program which would have also created regional employment opportunities.

“In what world does (Premier) Daniel Andrews think this is a good deal?” Mr Walsh said.

“Visy is a monolithic enterprise, yet it has been given exclusive access to all

Charcoal drawing people’s choice

A STRIKING charcoal drawing by Jade Bishop has been named winner of the Tiny Town’s Arts Trail people’s choice award.

Ta Moko depicting a Moari warrior nudged out a work by Newbridge artist Teresa Siesmaa - Kathie’s Place.

Winning works in the people’s choice awards have been displayed in Dunolly.

Tiny Towns Arts Trail was held for a seventh time over the ANZAC weekend and saw hundreds of people touring towns across central Victoria.

Artists in Tarnagulla and Eastville were among many opening their studios and galleries to visitors.

Organisers said this year’s arts trail had again shown diversity of creative expression across the region.

Trove funding boost for researchers

ONGOING funding of Trove by the Australian Government was a win for Mallee researchers, said member for Mallee Anne Webster.

From July 1 the Government will provide funding of $33 million over four years, with indexed ongoing funding of $9.2 million a year.

Trove is the single point of entry to the collections of hundreds of Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and newspaper archives.

It is used by many Australians to look up their family history or complete academic research.

northern Victoria for the scheme. TOMRA Cleanaway is also a multinational and while you see its brand everywhere, the work it will do could be done as well – and probably better – by a local business,” he says.

“And it’s own website shows it has operations in Queensland, NSW, WA and ACT – but there’s nothing in Victoria.

Mr Walsh said that with the Government spruiking 600 refund collection points across the state, “surely smaller, local recyclers would have been the go in regional Victoria”.

“Victorians have been waiting for years to get access to a service such as this, and when it finally arrives it appears to have been a deal done behind closed doors –again,” Mr Walsh said.