Uncategorized Archives - Suzanna Sheed

Hopes for Shepparton Bypass to be included on Infrastructure Australia’s Priority List

September 20, 2021/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Suzanna Sheed

The Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass is one step closer to fruition following a proposal lodged with Infrastructure Australia to have the major project recognised on its Priority List.

The submission, jointly prepared by Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed, Greater Shepparton City Council, Committee for Greater Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass Action Group, outlined the urgent need to fund and commence construction of Stage One of the Shepparton Bypass.

The submission highlighted the importance of getting the bypass underway, acknowledging the rapid development and expansion of Greater Shepparton and its growing population, as well as addressing safety issues. Not only would the bypass create jobs and economic stimulus to the region, but it would also provide much-needed upgraded national highway connectivity across our states.

The Infrastructure Australia Priority List sets out the investment opportunities that can deliver nationally significant benefits to Australians, helping to guide decision makers towards infrastructure that supports productivity and quality of life.

Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed said the bypass would form part of the greater road network between Melbourne and Brisbane.

“Our region has seen substantial growth in recent years with investment in health, education, rail and the arts,” Ms Sheed said.

“This bypass has been a priority for our region for decades and its implementation would not only service our district but the transport capacity of the eastern states of Australia.”

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe said the Shepparton Bypass was a nationally significant project, with $208 million in Australian Government funding already committed.

“Greater Shepparton acts as a major food-bowl and centre for Australian agribusiness, with the combination of primary production and food manufacturing meaning the region serves as a major freight transport hub,” she said.

“With currently only one river crossing for heavy vehicles, the Peter Ross Edwards Causeway, this will likely become even more of an issue into the future as our region’s freight task increases significantly. The bypass is the long overdue solution.”

Construction of the 36km four lane Shepparton Bypass is the next logical step in providing a fully duplicated highway from Shepparton to Melbourne. The current priority is Stage One, a single lane carriageway in each direction extending from the Midland Highway west of Mooroopna to the Goulburn Valley Highway in Shepparton North – a total distance of more than 10 kilometres.

The Australian Government committed $208 million to deliver Stage One following strong advocacy for this transformative project. This funding will be delivered over a number of years in conjunction with funding from the State Government, which is outlined in the Bypassing Shepparton Business Case which is yet to be released.

The proposal submitted to Infrastructure Australia will now be assessed and considered at a board meeting later this year. Written feedback will then be provided before the final publication is released in February next year.

For more information visit greatershepparton.com.au/council/major-projects/bypass

Quotes attributable to Committee for Greater Shepparton Chief Executive Officer Sam Birrell

“Much of Greater Shepparton’s future planning and development relies upon the construction of the Shepparton Bypass.

“The region cannot continue in a state of limbo that uncertainty around the project creates.”

Quotes attributable to Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass Action Group Chair Peter Johnson

“The Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass Action Group welcomed the opportunity to participate in the preparation of the proposal lodged with Infrastructure Australia.

“The Bypass Action Group strongly endorses the direct lodgement of the proposal and congratulates Greater Shepparton City Council and the Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed for their proactive initiative.”

Media enquiries

Greater Shepparton City Council, Liz Mellino

Ph: (03) 5832 9537

Email: liz.mellino@shepparton.vic.gov.au

Office of Suzanna Sheed, Elaine Cooney

Ph: 0447 820 466

Email: elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

Covid-19 Vaccinations for Indigenous Victorians

September 14, 2021/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Suzanna Sheed

Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (14:56): My question is for the Minister for Health. I was shocked to hear today that our understanding of the vaccination rates of Victoria’s Indigenous population has been greatly inflated. We have seen the spread of COVID-19 across western New South Wales, and Victorians have been congratulating themselves on having such a high rate of vaccination among our Indigenous community. It has been reported that commonwealth government figures were grossly inflated. Their figures were revised yesterday to show less than half of what we believed was the case, with only 21 559 Indigenous people having received a first dose and only 12 209 being fully vaccinated. Minister, how is it that vaccination figures could be so wrong, and what level of oversight does the state government have to ensure their accuracy in the future?

Mr FOLEY (Albert Park—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Equality) (14:57): I thank the member for Shepparton for her question. It was a truly shocking revelation that was shared with the people, particularly Indigenous people, of Victoria by the commonwealth in regard to that issue. The Australian immunisation register is a commonwealth system in which this data is stored and shared. The Victorian government’s contribution is through its state vaccination centres—over 55 centres across the length and breadth of the state.

My advice, because I sought an explanation as well, goes to the fact that in a number of private GP clinics spread throughout Victoria the software system that had been employed by those practices and shared across a number of other forms of community engagement with the wider Victorian population,
where the particular question as to the status of someone being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin was left blank. On some occasions in the data–reading system that the service provider engaged by the commonwealth had, for that system, picked up not everyone but some of those people somehow or another as an Indigenous person, thereby grossly inflating the numbers for those practices that were picked up in the commonwealth figures. The commonwealth have apologised for that error, and we are working with them to very quickly seek to get an explanation as to making sure that that is the only error and that other parts of the system, whether it be the Aboriginal community–controlled health organisations themselves or indeed the Victorian government’s systems, which also speak to the commonwealth system, do not suffer that or any other such data error.

My advice is that it was a particular service provider that had contracted private GPs who are accredited vaccination providers for the commonwealth, and that is the source of this particular very unfortunate
and very poorly timed data error which has then of course set back a whole range of other good work that Aboriginal community–controlled health organisations, particularly in our regions but not exclusively in our regions, have been undertaking. I have asked as a result of that revelation in recent
times for further advice. I have to say that the commonwealth minister and all the state and territory ministers have as one of their number one priority the vaccination of our vulnerable Indigenous communities. Having accurate data to that is critical, and we need to make sure that is the case.

Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (15:00): Again to the Minister for Health: I spoke with Ms Jill Gallagher, the CEO of the peak body of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations this morning. She told me that she is also very concerned about Shepparton and the Hume region and the
rates of vaccination among those Indigenous communities. Minister, what steps are the Victorian government going to take now to ensure a rapid increase in vaccination rates of First Nations people in the Shepparton district and Victoria more broadly, bearing in mind that these people were meant to be 1A? The Indigenous people of Victoria and the whole of Australia were meant to be the first people vaccinated, and here we are so much later finding that so many of them have not been vaccinated. We
need to do something in Victoria, and I ask you, Minister: what can the Victorian government do to remedy this situation?

Mr FOLEY (Albert Park—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Equality) (15:01): I share the honourable member’s concerns. Indeed you correctly identified that under the commonwealth’s program the specific group 1A, right at the front of the queue for the
commonwealth’s attention, are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Not being content to leave that to the commonwealth, the Victorian government uses this as an opportunity to recommit
to working with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, such as the honourable member’s renowned Rumbalara organisation in the Goulburn Valley, to make sure that the model of community–determined efforts is at the front of the queue. I too have had, through my department and my office, some direct conversations with the ACCHOs, and the community–based, forward–looking programs that they have in place will now need to be substantially improved,
particularly including active outreach programs.

Sheed sounds warning over Melbourne travellers breaching lockdown

August 6, 2020/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Suzanna Sheed

Independent Member for the Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has sounded a warning over numerous reports of Melbourne-based travellers breaching the lock-down rules and reportedly entering the Shepparton district.

“Every day my office fields calls from constituents complaining they have seen evidence of people from Melbourne coming into our region against the lock-down restrictions,” Ms Sheed said.

“We have reports of unnecessary shopping trips and real estate agents worried about requests for property inspections. Shop workers are reporting being given metropolitan post codes. I am very worried by the volume of these reports.”

Critically, Ms Sheed is concerned over the impact these alleged breaches may have on the local aged-care industry.

“We are a very close community and so far, we have been doing well to keep our frail and elderly safe from the virus. Our infection rate is one of the lowest in the state,” Ms Sheed said.

“The idea that COVID-19 could enter our aged-care sector is terrifying, and it would be a shocking thing if that infection is brought in by people from Melbourne breaking the law.”

Ms Sheed has contacted Minister for Police Lisa Neville to voice her concerns and request that it be ensured police in the Shepparton district are adequately resourced and enforcing lock-down rules on visitors from metropolitan regions.

“The Victorian Government has given police considerable powers to deal with those who, for whatever reason, are failing to do the right thing. These powers are meant to protect communities such as mine which have to-date avoided the worst of this pandemic. I have sought assurances from the Minister that the measures will be enforced,” Ms Sheed said.

ENDS

Media contact

Myles Peterson 0467 035 840│myles.peterson@suzannasheed.com.au

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Auditor-General’s water report concerning, Sheed

July 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Suzanna Sheed

Independent Member for the Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed said she is concerned by many of the findings of the recently released Procurement of Strategic Water Entitlements report.

Commissioned by former Federal Water Minister David Littleproud and conducted by the Australian National Audit Office the report highlights several issues with the Commonwealth’s buyback of water to meet environmental targets.

“Like many, I’m suffering a bit from Murray Darling Basin Plan report fatigue,” Ms Sheed said.

“But this is an important document and points to numerous shortcomings in the water buyback process. I’m concerned the Auditor-General criticises the nature of these closed-tender deals and that commercial decisions were reportedly taking place in the Federal Water Minister’s office.

“It points to yet another area where transparency is lacking in the water market.”

The report listed further criticisms of buyback processes, according to Ms Sheed.

“Market rates weren’t always paid. Poor information was provided by the department to decision makers,” Ms Sheed said.

“Departmental staff were reportedly failing to apply proper policy. Since 2016 around 80 GL was taken out of the consumptive pool costing $190 million and these findings cast doubt over how that all took place. We have seen so much poor behaviour, particularly in the Northern Basin, and this report only confirms that even the government’s own department has fallen below the standards we could reasonably expect of it.

“We have yet another report pointing towards yet more problems with the Plan. What we don’t have are enough state and federal governments willing to acknowledge these collective problems and find the political courage to do something drastic about them.”