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In parliament today, Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed aired concerns that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the job security of women in the district.

Ms Sheed highlighted that the number of people employed in Greater Shepparton fell 18 per cent from February last year to September this year. “The pandemic has shone the spotlight on the unstable nature of employment in our region, and the most affected have been women,” she said.

“It has unveiled the entrenched gender inequalities that were hidden below the surface.” Ms Sheed told the parliament that more than 10,000 local women were out of work in this period, compared to only 2,282 men – a ratio mirrored across Victoria with female job losses being five times more than men.

Monthly labour force data shows that this is the highest ever rate of female unemployment.
“I am especially concerned about our Shepparton girls and women in the 15 to 24 age bracket, where a loss of 5,329 jobs occurred,” Ms Sheed said.

“We know that women are often in more casualised labour environments such as the care industry and retail, which has been impacted greatly by COVID-19 restrictions. Recent labour force statistics showed retail had 3,800 job losses and health care dropped 2,000 of its workforce in Shepparton, between February 2020 and August 2021.”

Ms Sheed said she was concerned that some of these female job losses could continue for months or years and result in long-term disadvantage and economic insecurity.

“Women are already on the back foot when it comes to the 14.2 per cent gender pay gap and lower superannuation balances due to taking time off for child rearing, we do not need to see the gap widened by a disproportionate number of women in unstable work,” Ms Sheed said.

“As a community, employers need to look at the type of work contracts they offer women and make them full-time and permanent if that’s the type of work the employee is seeking.

“I will be looking into these figures and speaking with women who have been affected by unemployment in the past 18 months to see how they can be better supported.”

ENDS

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

Sheed calls for on-farm quarantine option

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In Parliament this week, Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed called on the Victorian Health Minister to advocate to the Chief Health Officer for on-farm quarantine for Pacific Islander seasonal workers.

Ms Sheed said while there was a quarantine facility set up in Tasmania for Pacific Islander workers, the cost to the Victorian Government and farmers was significant.

“I have had discussions with several orchardists, including Silver Orchards owners Rien and Maurice Silverstein, who will be employing Samoan workers in the coming weeks here in the Goulburn Valley,” Ms Sheed said.

Mrs Silverstein said that instead of undergoing hotel quarantine in Tasmania, the fully vaccinated workers could quarantine at the farm, away from other workers for 14 days, and have their groceries delivered by family members.

“We have the accommodation capacity in three separate farmhouse buildings for seven workers and have a permanent employee who could collect our workers from the airport and bring them directly to the farm in a vehicle exclusively for this purpose,” she said.

Ms Sheed said as Victoria moved towards the 70 per cent double vaccinated rate, with an imminent easing of restrictions and with home quarantine under discussion, it led to the consideration of on-farm quarantine to be adopted in appropriate settings.

In her question without notice to Health Minister Martin Foley, Ms Sheed said arrangements were currently underway for double vaccinated workers from Samoa to hotel quarantine in Tasmania at significant cost to both the Victorian government and farmers.

Ms Sheed asked Mr Foley if he would advocate to the Chief Health Officer for on-farm quarantine for these workers.

Mr Foley said the transition from hotel quarantine to alternative arrangements was risk based and he would make the representations Ms Sheed requested.

ENDS

Media contact
Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

Sheed speaks out against rushed pandemic legislation

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Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed will today vote against the passage of the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021 in parliament.

Ms Sheed said the bill was only made publicly available yesterday and a last-minute briefing by the government was given late Monday evening, with a view to the bill being introduced the following morning.

“I would have liked the opportunity to take this back to my electorate,” Ms Sheed said.

“Everything we do in this chamber is premised on the notion that we know what we are doing. When we come to vote on this bill, we should ask ourselves: do we know what we are voting on?”

Ms Sheed agreed that there should be fit-for-purpose pandemic legislation, but she needed the time to consult with the community and experts on the details of the bill.

“There may be aspects of this bill that we could improve on, such as parliamentary oversight and transparency,” Ms Sheed said.

Ms Sheed compared the debate of this legislation to the Assisted Dying Bill, which was released to the public, the opposition, and crossbenchers early and there was the opportunity for wider discussion.

“We spent day and night in this place debating a piece of legislation, which really goes to the importance of life and death issues…here we have a piece of legislation that also affects people’s health. It can be a matter of life and death,” she said.

“We need more time to consider this legislation.”

ENDS

Media contact
Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

Sheed calls for urgent investment in Shepparton to boost employment opportunities

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Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Victorian Government to deliver consistent and targeted investment in Shepparton amid stark unemployment figures released this week.

Ms Sheed said the number of people employed in the Greater Shepparton region fell 18 per cent from February last year to September this year.

“This means Shepparton has been the most impacted local government area in the entire state in terms of job losses since the pandemic began,” Ms Sheed said.

“These figures represent a loss of 12,292 jobs in our district and we urgently need State Government investment in major projects and manufacturing opportunities, so we don’t see this trend continue.

While the impacts of the pandemic certainly contributed to these job losses, other data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the lack of harvest workers in the district only accounted for a reduction of 2,200 workers.

“We lost 3,800 workers from the retail trade industry, 2,000 from health care and social assistance, and 1,200 from the utilities sector between February last year and August this year.

“The pandemic has raised the unstable nature of employment in our region, and it is time we received much-needed investment in long-term permanent projects to give our workforce the certainty it needs during our post-pandemic recovery and into the future.

“I want Shepparton to be first on the Victorian Government’s list when looking at job-creation deals such as manufacturing, energy production, and major projects such as the Shepparton Bypass.

“Earlier this year, the Victorian Government signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanwha, a major South Korean global company, to build and maintain Australian military vehicles in Geelong, creating hundreds of highly-skilled jobs.

“The City of Geelong is supported by a consistent stream of targeted investments in major projects, and we can see this translates to positive employment statistics, with the city boasting a growth of 18,197 jobs from February last year to September this year.

“We need the same, if not more investment in Shepparton, to see our employment rates increase and our industries grow.”

ENDS

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

Sheed welcomes Children’s Bill

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In Parliament this week, Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna welcomed the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Child Protection) Bill 2021.

Ms Sheed said the bill includes further Aboriginal child placement principles, more advice and assistance when there is concern for the wellbeing of an unborn child, prevention of witnesses in family violence being personally cross-examined by parties of the alleged violence, the provision to support young people making the transition to adulthood, and other important changes.

“During my time as a family lawyer and as an independent children’s lawyer, I saw many tragic instances of family breakdown and child displacement, which can cause long-term trauma for children,” Ms Sheed said.

“In First Nations families we often see grandmothers providing long-term care for their grandchildren and this form of kinship care is seen as culturally important as well as maintaining the familial links.

“The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported 1 in 18 Aboriginal children were in out-of-home care from 30 June 2020 – that’s 11 times the rate for non-Indigenous children. Shepparton has the second highest First Nations population outside of metropolitan Melbourne, and it is a great concern to my community to see an over representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. This bill seeks to help close this gap of over-representation of Aboriginal children in care by 45 per cent by 2031.”

Ms Sheed said there was strong evidence when children in out-of-home settings reached adulthood, without any financial or social support they were at a higher risk of turning to drug and alcohol abuse and crime – and were often left homeless.

“In a Deloitte research report called Guiding young Victorians in care into adulthood, it was reported that extending state care from 18 to 21 would halve their homelessness rate, multiply their higher education participation by 2.5, and reduce their alcohol and drug dependence from 15.8 per cent to 2.5 per cent,” Ms Sheed said.

“This bill is seeking to do exactly that. By offering a safety net to these vulnerable members of our community and giving them choices once they reach adulthood, it will give them the chance to succeed in whatever path they take.

“In January, Victoria became the first jurisdiction to extend Home Stretch to all young people leaving foster, kinship, and residential care up to the age of 21 rather than leaving them to have to find their own way in life when they reach the age of 18 years.

“The bill ensures that those who do leave their care situation will be given practical help to find and set up a home as well as the financial assistance they need to take that first step to living as an independent adult. On top of this, they will be supported with assistance to get into education, training, or the workplace as well as the relevant health and community services they require at this crucial period of their lives.

“These provisions will help steer our young people on a positive path of securing a safe place to live, gaining an education or trade, and continuing to feel a part of the community.”

ENDS

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

Standing and Sessional Orders

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SHEED (Shepparton) (10:28): Thank you, Speaker, for the opportunity, and I will not take long. I have been listening to the debate and I would like to indicate my support for the amendment that has been put forward and express my concern about no end date appearing on the motion at the present time.

I think we are in a stage now where we are moving forward. We have a national road map. We have Victoria’s road map. Just this morning I was in a cross-border briefing with both cross-border commissioners. New South Wales reached 70 per cent double vaccinated residents just last night, and they are now moving towards the changes that must take place. I understand their Parliament will be sitting next week for the first time in a long time. I congratulate the Victorian Parliament and the government and everyone who works in this place for the efforts that have been made for us to be able to sit most of the time. We have probably been able to navigate what has been a very difficult situation very well, but we do have to show confidence in this road map and we have to show some leadership. I think it behoves us then to perhaps look at how we go forward, and to lock this motion into place when within a few weeks we might be in a different place again is concerning to me.

I recall early on in the pandemic reading that wonderful article or booklet that the library put together on the history of pandemics and epidemics in fact. Back 100 years ago during the Spanish flu members of Parliament died. Everyone was dying of the virus, there was no vaccine, people did not understand how it spread and Parliament was sitting. I am not sure of the numbers, but members of Parliament died.

Well, 100 years later we are incredibly lucky in a way that we understand so much more. We have been able to put in place a whole range of measures. We just see it here with the perspex, with the social distancing. All these things have created a much safer environment, and we have been able to continue the business of government. While we need to continue this for another couple of weeks probably, I think the road map does indicate and support perhaps another change coming forward and then another change, so it does concern me that this is so open-ended. While it may well be fine for next week it does not give any indication of a closure date. On that basis I oppose the motion and support the amendment.

Sheed calls for release of Greens Lake management plan

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Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed called on the Victorian Water Minister to release the management plan for Greens Lake.

In her adjournment debate in parliament yesterday, Ms Sheed asked Water Minister Lisa Neville to release the Future Use Management Plan for Greens Lake, which was requested by the Acting Water Minister Richard Wynne in April.

“Greens Lake has deteriorated in the past two years and continues to sit level at 20 per cent capacity,” Ms Sheed said.

“I recently visited the lake, and it appears the once-healthy environment is still in decline. The wetland area has reduced in size and there were only a few wetland waterbirds present.

“It will certainly not be the hive of activity it once was yet again this summer, and perhaps it will never again offer the simple recreational, community, and social values we once enjoyed, if action is not taken soon.

In her adjournment, Ms Sheed told Ms Neville that Greens Lake was the type of community space needed as the community emerges from the pandemic.

“It allows families and friends to socialise outdoors and enjoy the fresh air and exercise,” Ms Sheed said.

“In April this year Minister Wynne advised me that he had asked the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to develop a Future Use Management Plan for Greens Lake in conjunction with the local community, Traditional Owners, and relevant agencies.

“The plan aims to assess the environmental, cultural, and recreational values of the lake to determine the best long-term plan. It will address threats to these values and put the necessary mitigation and intervention measures in place.

“I have yet to see this plan and I know the users of the lake are also eager to see what the future holds for the lake that has played such an important part in their lives for generations.

“The lake requires additional water supply to facilitate recreational uses.”

*While Ms Sheed attended parliament in person, her adjournment debate was submitted in writing in-keeping with the Victorian Government’s COVID-safe guidelines.

ENDS

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

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Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2019

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Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (10:11): I rise to speak briefly on the Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2019 and the amendment that has been made by the Legislative Council. My remarks will be quite short because they go to procedural matters. I consider it entirely inappropriate that an amendment such as this be raised in the house, handed to us, a motion being put that it be adjourned until later this day, and then immediately brought on for debate. That is my primary concern about this. I suppose in the last hour that I have actually had to read through the amendment—yes, it would appear on the face of it to be just a change to dates that may not be substantial, but how do we know that? It would have been appropriate for an appropriate amount of time to be given for all members on this side of the house to consider the amendment that has been put and what it might mean.

I do not intend to try and relitigate the bill itself, as others here may be seeking to do. I note it was debated for many hours in the upper house yesterday, and the result of it is this document with what appears to be a minor amendment to the bill. But I would say in making my comments that this is a reflection of what this house has come to and what this side of the house has now been brought to. We have no consideration in detail of bills. Had we had that, this matter may have been dealt with here in this house at the time this bill was debated in this house.

Ray Purdey, a former Clerk of this Parliament, wrote an excellent paper on the diminution of many of the democratic processes in this house over a period of 20 years, and nobody has done anything about drawing attention to that. Well, I intend to draw attention to it. It is an extremely important foundation of our democracy that as an opposition here in this house we have the opportunity to use the standing orders in a way that enables us to have our say and to represent our communities and our electorates. We are not given that opportunity at the moment. You will have heard me get up on numerous occasions over the last six months and read out a motion by leave seeking that we look to removing the matter of public importance and the grievance debate on a Wednesday afternoon and move to having general business. That would have meant that the member for Lowan in the last Parliament could have introduced her bill. We could have had a debate on it. But no, it has now been introduced in the other place, where they will debate it, and who knows what will happen.

This is the house of government; that is the house of review. We should start behaving like that, and that will require some changes to the standing orders. But I have not had any support from anyone. No-one from any part of this Parliament has come to me and said, ‘I agree with you. Let’s work on it. Let’s see whether we can bring this matter up in another place or start talking about how we might achieve some changes to the standing orders’. Well, it is about time people on this side of the house started thinking about that, because they are not controversial. They are not major. They are really just going back to a time when oppositions were given an opportunity to bring on a bill and have it debated—not be shut down at the first mention of a bill.

It was a time when motions could be brought and debated during that period of non-government business, and that meant that this side of the house, which sometimes, believe it or not, is almost half this house, gets to represent their communities. We have a government at the moment that has a massive majority. The people of Victoria overwhelmingly voted in the Andrews Labor government at the last election. Well, we wear that. These are the opposition; I regard myself as an Independent. I behave as an Independent, and I raise this issue as an Independent because it is about time everybody in this place started to have a think about how important it is.

Never has it been more important that we protect and value our democratic institutions. We can see the rise of restrictive regimes around the world in many places, and the attack on democracy is something that we should all be afraid of. We do not want to be shut down. We want the opportunity to debate appropriately, and this is something that I feel very strongly about and I believe the people of Victoria would feel strongly about, were they ever to take any notice of an issue like this that is being raised here on a Wednesday morning. I think it is incumbent on all of us to work much harder to lift the profile of the Parliament, to value the norms of the Parliament and to try and improve the outcomes within our Parliament. Many have written about it. Other parliaments have taken steps to improve and reform their parliaments; New Zealand in recent times has done that.

Coming back to this particular issue, my objection is to the fact that it has just been put in front of us like that, just handed to us and then brought on for debate. It is not respecting the process as we should respect it. An hour would have been enough. We have got a shadow minister who would have had plenty of time to go and look through it. It is not a time to necessarily relitigate the whole argument, but they are amendments. This Parliament deserves the time to just have a look over them before the debate is brought on, and I would urge everyone in this place to have a think about what the value of this place is, what we are really here for and how we should really stand up for the things that matter in this place.

Greens Lake

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My adjournment is for the Minister for Water, and the action I seek is that she releases the management plan for Greens Lake. The lake, just outside the Shepparton district, has been an important recreational spot for camping, boating, fishing, and family days out for generations.

Unfortunately, the health of the lake has deteriorated in the last two years. It has sat and continues to sit level at 20 per cent. I went to look at it again recently and it has continued to deteriorate, and the wetland area has reduced in size with few wetland waterbirds we usually see present.

It will certainly not be the hive of activity it once was yet again this summer, and perhaps it will never again offer the simple recreational, community and social values we once enjoyed, if action is not taken soon. This kind of community space is just what is needed as we emerge from the pandemic. It allows families and friends to socialise outdoors and enjoy the fresh air and exercise.

I read in the Weekly Times today that 3000 megalitres of water was used to fill western Victoria’s 10 recreational lakes and town weir pools. These lakes do not have access to an ongoing reliable water source, much like Greens Lake.

In the case of these western Victorian lakes, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation filled them using ‘growth water’ but we have yet to see any top-up at our popular recreational spot at Greens Lake.

I have written to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and Minister Wynne when he was acting water minister. In April this year, Minister Wynne advised me that he had asked the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to develop a future use management plan for Greens Lake in conjunction with the local community, traditional owners and relevant agencies.

The plan aims to assess the environmental, cultural, and recreational values of the lake to determine the best long-term plan. This plan will address threats to these values and put the necessary mitigation and intervention measures in place.

However, I am yet to see this plan and I know the users of the lake are also eager to see what the future holds for the lake that has played such an important part in their lives.

Sheed welcomes easing of border restrictions and introduction of Rapid Antigen Testing

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Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has welcomed the loosening of restrictions on the border, which will help more Victorians return home and allow people from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to enter Victoria from midnight tonight (October 6).

Ms Sheed said today’s announcement of the downgrading the Extreme Risk Zones to Red Zones will allow Victorian residents to return following a negative COVID-19 test and home quarantine for 14 days upon their return. Red Zones will switch to Orange Zones allowing people from Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory to enter Victoria. They will need to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result.

“These changes will bring more Victorians home and offer a greater flexibility to people who rely on travel across the border for family, education, or work commitments,” Ms Sheed said.

“Victoria and New South Wales have always been strongly connected and restrictions from travelling between the states has caused emotional upset and financial hardship in the past few months, so I am pleased the Victorian Government found a reasonable way forward.

Ms Sheed welcomed the Victorian Government’s introduction of rapid antigen testing in its healthcare system and later at schools, childcare, and correctional facilities.

“Being able to test healthcare staff rapidly will help put their minds at ease while they continue to do their important work through this pandemic and will lead to less furloughing of staff in the coming months.

“Our health system is already feeling the pressure and these tests will help healthcare centres run as safely as possible.

“When these tests eventually roll out in other high-risk settings, such as schools, we will feel safer returning to a more normal setting and spending less time in self isolation.

“While we have yet to see Victoria’s COVID-19 cases reach their peak, we can take comfort in our high vaccination rates.

“Seeing that 88.9 per cent of Greater Shepparton residents and 91.2 per cent of Moira Shire residents received a vaccination, shows how serious our communities are about running this virus to the ground.

“I encourage the community to continue to get tested when symptoms occur or when advised by Health Department officials and get vaccinated.”

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

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