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Energy security must be central to renewable targets

September 22, 2017/in Media Releases

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on Victoria’s Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change to allay community concerns about the ability of renewable energy to provide a stable supply of power.

During consideration of the Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Bill in Parliament on Thursday, Ms Sheed asked Minister Lily D’Ambrosio how the proposed legislation would balance clean energy technologies with communities’ power needs.

Ms Sheed said while many in the Shepparton electorate supported renewable energy, there was real concern in the business community about having access to sufficient power when it was needed.

In her reply Ms D’Ambrosio said the Government was committed to growing more affordable renewable energy that would maintain or improve the existing security levels of the electricity grid.

Ms Sheed voted to pass the bill through the Legislative Assembly on Thursday and it will now be considered in the Legislative Council.

Quotes attributable to Ms Sheed (not from Parliament chamber):

“There are businesses in the Shepparton electorate who have seen their electricity bills skyrocket by as much as $300,000 in the past year,” Ms Sheed said.

“Renewable energy is undoubtedly part of the sector’s future, but solar and wind are variable, they’re dependent on whether the sun is shining and the breeze is blowing so as to ensure stability of supply we need to be also looking at technologies such as hydro and biomass, as well as our storage capability more generally.

“I have had discussions with the Minister about energy security and she has assured me that this legislation would allow weighting to be given to a variety of other renewable technologies, including potential hybrid technologies, storage, biomass and hydro.

“She also confirmed these technologies would have access to the Victorian Renewable Energy Target scheme which should offer some welcome certainty for industry.”

ENDS

Media contact

Riahn Smith 0419 138 978│riahn.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

Click here for PDF version.

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-22 03:57:432020-02-07 02:45:46Energy security must be central to renewable targets

Expert panel report on MDBA must be released now

September 22, 2017/in Media Releases

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Victorian Water Minister to release the expert panel report into the Murray Darling Basin Plan’s Sustainable Diversion Limits.

In Parliament on Thursday, Ms Sheed said the report would provide a level of comfort and more detailed knowledge about the technical foundations for moving forward on environmental offset projects.

 

The expert panel was established by Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville and NSW’s Minister for Regional Water, Niall Blair, in February to provide advice on the technical foundations of the basin plan’s sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism.

This mechanism allows for the 2750GL of water to be recovered under the plan to be offset by 650GL worth of projects that deliver equivalent environmental outcomes.

“When the expert panel was announced, both ministers argued that there was a lack of transparency around the assumptions that sit at the heart of the mechanism,” Ms Sheed said.

“The panel reported back to the Ministers in mid-March, yet the results of the review have still not been made publicly available.”

Quotes attributable to Ms Sheed (not from Parliament adjournment speech):

“This expert panel report has been gathering dust for months while our communities are struggling,” Ms Sheed said.

"Everyone is behaving as if recovery of the additional 450GL of water from the consumptive pool is a given, despite evidence of such negative impacts on our regions.

“Given that the report was commissioned to ensure a level of transparency it is now incumbent upon both ministers to jointly release the report immediately.

“There are already multiple inquiries and investigations underway into the MDBA and with trust in the system at an all-time low, we need to have all the information on the table. 

“While some parties may not want to release the data given the controversy surrounding some of our Northern neighbours, that’s far from a valid reason for keeping us in the dark.

“We can only wonder what they might be trying to hide.”

ENDS

Media contact

Riahn Smith 0419 138 978│riahn.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

Click here for PDF version.

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-22 03:54:002020-02-07 02:45:52Expert panel report on MDBA must be released now

Victorian Water Minister backs calls for independent MBDA inquiry

September 8, 2017/in Media Releases

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has welcomed renewed calls by Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville for an independent inquiry into the allegations of water theft in the Northern Basin.

Ms Sheed said Southern Basin communities were already experiencing negative socio-economic impacts as a result of the rollout of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and said an independent inquiry was vital to ensure the integrity of the plan. 

Ms Neville raised the issue in Parliament on Thursday and called on Deputy Premier and Federal Water Minister Barnaby Joyce to initiate a truly independent inquiry into the allegations and bring forward the next Ministerial Council meeting for water ministers to address the issue.

Ms Sheed said she had also raised the issue with the Federal Government in a letter to the Prime Minister. 

“Myself and the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District Water Leadership Forum have been calling for an independent, basin-wide inquiry since the allegations were first aired on the Four Corners program in July,” Ms Sheed said.

“The integrity of governance and government agencies associated with the Murray Darling Basin Plan has been seriously questioned and I have personally written to the Prime Minister, urging him to help restore the confidence of our Southern Basin communities by committing to a proper inquiry. 

“As a region we are working so hard to ensure a balance between the needs of the environment and the needs of the community, so it’s encouraging to know that our state water minister is in our corner – especially in the current absence of support from the Federal Government. 

“The Goulburn Murray Irrigation District Water Leadership Forum is working overtime at the moment to make sure the views of our region are heard and I thank the Minister for her support of our position.”

Ms Neville’s Minister’s Statement on the Murray Darling Basin Plan can be found at http://hansard.parliament.vic.gov.au

ENDS

Media contact

Riahn Smith 0419 138 978│riahn.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

Click here for PDF version.

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-08 07:41:442020-02-07 02:45:51Victorian Water Minister backs calls for independent MBDA inquiry

Sheed calls for continued funding in budget reply

September 7, 2017/in Media Releases

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has urged the Victorian Government to commit to funding future stages of its local infrastructure projects.

Ms Sheed yesterday delivered her budget reply speech and thanked the Government for its significant investment in the region, acknowledging the $43.5 million allocated to rail upgrades, the $1 million for an education plan and $10.2 million for the Shepparton bypass, among other budget announcements.

However, she also highlighted the need for additional funding for future stages of these projects to ensure they deliver the full benefit the electorate deserves.

Ms Sheed said it was important to keep the foot on the pedal when it comes to championing the needs of the community. 

Quotes attributable to Ms Sheed (not from budget reply speech): 

“What we have achieved so far with an Independent member in the Parliament is incredible, but there’s much more to be done,” Ms Sheed said. 

“We already secured $170 million for the Goulburn Valley Health redevelopment in last year’s budget, but we need more funding for the second stage of the project and more money for our rail and road infrastructure. 

“We also need funding for initiatives such as a dedicated mother baby unit, a cancer centre, a drug rehabilitation centre and the Munnara Centre of Excellence.

“I’m honoured to advocate for these projects on your behalf and will continue to keep the pressure on the Government to roll out its promises as quickly as possible.”

ENDS

Media contact

Riahn Smith 0419 138 978│riahn.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

Click here for PDF version.

 

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-07 05:01:082020-02-07 02:45:51Sheed calls for continued funding in budget reply

Share your views on the MDBA’s environmental offsets

September 6, 2017/in Media Releases

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed is encouraging people to have their say on 22 projects that will help Victoria deliver its share of the environmental recovery targets of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Ms Sheed said an information session to be held on the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s proposed environmental offset projects in Shepparton tomorrow was a good opportunity for people in the region to contribute to their water future.

Ms Sheed said it was essential to ensure the 650GL of water recovery targets are achieved without further water buybacks. 

“These projects are an important part of the rollout of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and from the point of view of our irrigation communities, it is most important that recovery of this 650GL of water be achieved from offsets or environmental works,” Ms Sheed said.

“The success of these environmental initiatives will help to remove the risk of future buybacks and of more water coming out of the consumptive pool.”

Ms Sheed said it was important for regional voices to be heard.

“I am well aware that our regional communities are suffering from fatigue over water issues but we must remain on task to ensure the future sustainability of our irrigation communities,” Ms Sheed said.

“The issue of the removal of a further 450GL under the Murray Darling Basin Plan remains a highly contentious issue and we are lobbying the Victorian Government to ensure that no further water is removed from irrigation as we know it will have a significant detrimental impact on the socio-economic outcomes of our communities.

“I encourage people to participate in this process to ensure we have a say in the future of our waterways and our irrigation industries.

“I look forward to seeing the detail of the projects and hope that the environmental benefits they deliver will be evident in the improved health of our local river systems.”

The Murray Darling Basin Authority will begin taking formal submissions on the 22 projects in October and will report to the Basin Ministerial Council in December.

For more information about upcoming information sessions and to make a submission, visit https://www.mdba.gov.au/about-us/partnerships-engagement/information-sessions

ENDS

Media contact

Riahn Smith 0419 138 978│riahn.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

Click here for a PDF version.

 

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-06 06:56:452020-02-07 02:45:31Share your views on the MDBA’s environmental offsets

Education case study – Dandenong High School

September 4, 2017/in Blog, Latest News

There are so many people working hard to progress the Shepparton Education Plan – from educators, to students and parents, to community members and industry experts – and it was so good to get the "What We Heard" report on Friday from the first round of consultations with the community.

One of the really encouraging things about the community feedback was that it aligned so well with the work that the the local Strategic Advisory Committee had also been undertaking.  

We wanted to get a clear picture of what educational success for our region would look like and the overwhelming message was that all children and young people should have a positive future and our families, schools and community will help them get there through learning and caring.

In my last blog I talked about our visits to Bendigo Senior Secondary College and to Templestowe College and the different educational models adopted in each of the schools.

We have also visited Dandenong High School – and that’s the focus of today’s blog entry.

Dandenong High School is located in a low socio-economic area on the eastern fringe of Melbourne and has a significant multicultural population with quite a transitory population.  A quarter of the children are from refugee backgrounds and a number of them are unaccompanied minors. They often only remain at the school for a short period of time before moving to Melbourne’s growth corridors to live and work.

In 2009, the school initiated a regeneration project and came together with Doveton Secondary College and Cleveland Secondary College.  These three schools had significantly different cultures and had not been invested in for years and, as a consequence, the student and teachers did not feel valued.

As the schools joined together, they enlisted critical friends and advisers – some of whom travelled overseas to look at potential models – and received funding for a new school on the site of the old Dandenong High School.

In August, a delegation from Shepparton met with associate principal Katie Watmough, who enthusiastically told us how the school’s fortunes were turned around.

The model that was chosen is called Schools Within Schools (SWIS). This means that with a student population of approximately 2000 children, the school is divided into seven houses of about 300 students each, with approximately 50 students in each year level. 

Each house has its own principal, student coordinator, house administration officer and a range of other supports. There are 25 teachers per house and most learning is undertaken in open-plan settings with three teachers to each group in Years 7 to 9. As the students move into more selective subject areas this teaching configuration changes, but their house structure is the pivotal point in their day, week, and year and indeed their school life.

Building on this model, Katie told us the school is intent on operating on the notions of tradition and innovation. It has one of the most expansive VCE curriculums in Victoria and has a strong and integrated VCAL program, as well as a VET program with a trade centre called The Dream Centre.

What is important to highlight is that the transformation of this school was not just about new buildings but about extraordinary teacher support and development, an entirely new vision for education within the school and a focus on positive education where students have strong relationships with their teachers.

There is a commitment to consistency across the school and there are critical curriculum leaders who play an important role.

I was particularly interested to understand how the school dealt with gifted children and those with needs requiring more intensive support. There is a SEAL program for accelerated learning for children within that category.

In addition to the main school site, Dandenong High School also has three alternative settings.

Myuna Farm offers a 12-week program aimed at improving students’ emotional intelligence and is designed to support children who are not achieving success at school and are displaying behaviours that are symptomatic of poor relationship skills, low self-esteem, lack of responsibility or poor anger management.

The second setting is called Operation New Start and is for much more disengaged students. Operation New Start offers an innovative outdoors/adventure-based intervention program for students deemed to be at significant educational risk.  

The Trade Centre is the third alternative setting, where a learning support team with 13 teaching aids is available to help students experience a taste of vocational trades, from hairdressing and beauty therapy to engineering and manufacturing.

I was accompanied on many of these visits by our four secondary school principals as well as other staff and Strategic Advisory Committee members and I have found these trips very informative and useful.

In addition to these visits, we also have highly experienced educators and experts engaging in work on the plan who have both local and international expertise.

Now that the first round of community consultation has been completed, a number of options will soon be put to the community in a further round of consultations shortly.

Check out my Facebook Page or sign up here for updates on how you can continue to have your say, and keep an eye out for my next blog which will look at technical college models.

 

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-04 04:42:362020-02-07 02:46:57Education case study – Dandenong High School

Proposed sale of Land Titles Office a mistake

September 1, 2017/in Media Releases

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Victorian Government to stop its proposed sale of the state’s Land Titles Office.

Speaking in Parliament Ms Sheed said the fate of Land Use Victoria was a matter of public importance and called on the Treasurer, Tim Pallas, to take all steps necessary to stop the sale.

Ms Sheed has since written to the Treasurer to formally outline her concerns about the sale, which was quietly announced in this year’s state budget.

Ms Sheed says the attempt to sell off the government agency, which records ownership of land across the state and retains private information about transactions such as mortgages, titles, covenants, leases and easements, is misguided and would provide no long-term public benefit.

“I have raised this issue as a matter of public importance because the Government is talking about privatising one of the Government’s oldest and most-respected businesses,” Ms Sheed said.

“The Titles Office is well-used by industry bodies who rely on its data, and is recognised for its integrity and accessibility.

“Not only that, the Titles Office that makes a comfortable profit each year for the State of Victoria and to sell it off for a short-term cash windfall represents a significant lack of forward thinking.”

Ms Sheed said the proposed sale of the Titles Office had been called a retrograde step by the Law Institute of Victoria, while the sales in both NSW and South Australia attracted harsh criticism from key industry bodies such as the Public Service Association, the Institute of Surveyors and the Real Estate Institute.

She said a similar proposal by the United Kingdom was abandoned by the British Government following intense opposition.

“The UK’s competition watchdog explicitly warned a privately owned monopoly in such circumstances would not benefit the public and I agree,” Ms Sheed said.

“The handing over of highly sensitive information and the removal of government oversight has the potential to compromise the security, accuracy and privacy of important data and creates a situation ripe for exploitation. 

“The Government can say it will legislate for such contingencies, but I say it simply cannot guarantee the integrity of information to the high standard it currently does.” 

Ms Sheed said she would continue to lobby the Government to reconsider the proposed sale.

ENDS

 

Media contact

Riahn Smith 0419 138 978│riahn.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

 

Click here for PDF version.

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.jpg 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2017-09-01 04:08:052020-02-07 02:45:51Proposed sale of Land Titles Office a mistake

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