Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has highlighted the need to build climate change, water and agricultural research institutes in regional areas in Parliament this week.

Speaking on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Feed-in Tariffs and Improving Safety and Markets) Bill 2016, Ms Sheed said people are searching for ways to be more environmentally-conscious.

“Energy is one of our greatest challenges and goes hand-in-hand with climate change.

“The Bill makes a number of amendments to Victoria’s energy legislation in relation to renewable energy feed-in tariffs and national energy markets,” Ms Sheed said.

“I hear farmers talk more and more about climate change, about variability in climate, recognising that there are drier times around us, that we are in a situation where we know that we will have less water in our future,” she said.

Ms Sheed also highlighted the growing interest in solar opportunities.

“The price of energy is certainly an issue for everyone, but people are looking at and wanting to adopt alternative ways to achieve energy savings for themselves, and in our area solar energy has always been regarded as very doable.

“We have more sunlight in Shepparton than probably anywhere else in Australia. Back in the 1980’s there was the notion that Shepparton would become a solar city. It was a vision that just did not seem to get up at the time, and it is probably now, 30 years later, everyone is getting on board,” Ms Sheed said.

She has encouraged the State Government to seek opportunities to put research institutes back into regional areas.

“I really bemoan the fact that so much of the research that used to take place in our communities — for instance, at the Tatura Research Station and the Kyabram Research Centre — has all gone back to capital cities, with all research now being done in major institutions in areas that are remote from our communities.  Yet it is our communities who will adopt so much of what they discover.

I urge government to go back to the grassroots, go back to our communities and put research in those places where it belongs,” Ms Sheed said.

Ms Sheed used the examples of GV Community Energy, which has been operating since 2008, to prove the benefits of putting research back into the Shepparton District.

She also highlighted proposals for future projects, including a solar farm for the Moira Shire.

 “The solar farm enables you to buy in, probably at a similar cost to putting panels on your roof. You then receive a commensurate benefit for being a part of that without having the panels on your roof,” she said.

“There are currently legislative impediments that will stop the Moira Shire from undertaking the project, but it’s keen to meet with government, talk about these sorts of projects and see whether it is something that it can get up.

I congratulate the Moira Shire Council for the work it’s doing in relation to sustainability and renewable energy,” Ms Sheed said.

“There is a lot of innovation happening in our communities, and governments need to legislate to ensure the facilitation of projects which will ultimately reduce our greenhouse emissions and of course household energy costs,” she said.

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Sueanne McCumstie 0428 743 880│sueanne.mccumstie@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

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Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed says she’s pleased to see work progressing on the redevelopment of Goulburn Valley Health.

It follows the appointment of Sandy Chamberlin as project manager, full-time to the plan.

Ms Chamberlin this week arranged for members of the GVH Community Advisory Group to travel to the Northern Hospital in Epping, along with critical Shepparton staff members, to explore a similar project.

“The Northern Hospital has been undergoing staged redevelopment for some time,” Ms Sheed said.

“We were taken through the medical ward, midwifery, paediatric sections and the emergency department which has 55 cubicles.

“We all had the chance to talk to the staff on the wards about what had worked for them and what didn’t work on the practical day-to-day basis,” she said.

“Some good connections have been made which will be very useful as we move ahead.”

The Shepparton redevelopment will include:

• Three new operating theatres;
• Two new wards;
• The refurbishment of existing theatres;
• The extension of the emergency department to include extra treatment bays;
• The refurbishment of the maternity unit;
• And a new special care nursery.

The schematic design phase is due to conclude next month.

Detailed designs are set to be released in April 2017.

As chair of the Community Advisory Group, Ms Sheed said she looked forward to creating opportunities for the community of Shepparton and the surrounding townships to see those designs once they are completed.

“There is a very positive team approach in play and some vigorous discussions will no doubt be had along the way,” Ms Sheed said.

“It is exciting to be involved in these early design phases and to see the enthusiasm of our staff who are so keen to see the best result possible.”

 

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Sueanne McCumstie 0428 743 880│sueanne.mccumstie@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

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Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Federal and Victorian Governments to make adjustments to the Murray Darling Basin Plan to ensure that there are no more water buybacks from farmers and to remove the requirement to provide the additional 450GL of up water currently legislated for in the Plan.

She also called on both federal and state governments to work with communities in the GMID to help transition the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) to a future with less water.

It follows the release of the GMID Water Leadership Forum’s study into the socio economic impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan last month, and the group’s Water Summit this morning.

“The study showed, without change to the Basin Plan, our viability as a prime irrigation District will be challenged, particularly during a drought,” Ms Sheed said.

“But even if we do have the change we would like to see with the Plan, we must concede, climate change is happening.

“The Water for Victoria Plan showed that we would have up to 20 per cent less runoff in streams by 2065, under a medium climate change projection, all while our population and therefore our water needs continue to grow,” she said.

“In our region the impact of the loss of water has been a gradual process, thereby masking the economic impacts, particularly through loss of jobs in the area.”

Ms Sheed has asked for governments to consider policies and programs which will ensure the region, and ultimately Victoria is better prepared for a drier future.

“We used to have major research centres based in the Shepparton District – they must be returned,” Ms Sheed said.

“The Tatura trellis is a great example of what can happen at a regionally-based research centre, but outside of that, our industries are doing great things, and exporting their products all over the world.

We call on both federal and state governments to work with our local communities throughout the GMID, to provide the resources to enable us to prepare for the future. Investment in innovation and change in our region will be a much better one than remedial action later on. It is important that we are able to prepare for our future, a future with less water,” Ms Sheed said.

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Media contact

Sueanne McCumstie 0428 743 880│sueanne.mccumstie@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

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