MEMBERS STATEMENTS: VICTORIAN PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARDS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (09:56): On another note, I congratulate Warrnambool writer Rachel Morton, whose fiction novel Panajachel won the prize for an unpublished manuscript at the recent Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. I congratulate all who have received awards and thank them for their ongoing contributions…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (09:54): Today I rise to congratulate 28 constituents in Western Victoria who have been recognised for their outstanding service to our community in January’s Order of Australia awards. Foremost amongst them is the late emeritus professor William Hugh Sawyer of Point Lonsdale, who…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: PIPPA MACPHERSON

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (10:09): I rise today to congratulate Pippa Macpherson on taking out the Apprentice of the Year award at the Apprenticeship Employment Network Apprentice Training Awards last Wednesday. Pippa is a phenomenal young person who I have had the pleasure of meeting on…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: PRUE ARCHER

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (09:48): On another note, I also congratulate Prue Archer, recipient of the 2023 Upskill and Invest – Young Farmers Scholarship. Prue’s great passion is dairy farming, including the science of artificial insemination and ultimately farm management. This talented young farmer will use…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: VICTORIAN EDUCATION EXCELLENCE AWARDS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (09:47): I rise today to acknowledge and celebrate the winners and finalists of the 2023 Victorian Education Excellence Awards. Several of my constituents, outstanding principals, teachers and schools have been recognised for their important work in improving schools and supporting students to…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: BIRREGURRA MEN’S SHED

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (09:48): Recently I had the pleasure of joining the Birregurra community in celebrating their brand new men’s shed. As we are all aware, men’s sheds strengthen the fabric of regional communities and play a vital role in men’s social and emotional wellbeing.…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: KEN SAUNDERS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (09:40): Today I rise to pay tribute to the life of Ken Saunders, a Gunditjmara man who passed away on country in Heywood in August. Ken Saunders’s path in life from being an early school leaver at Lake Condah Mission was extraordinary,…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: SHEEPVENTION

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:56): I rise today to congratulate the Hamilton Pastoral and Agricultural Society on holding a very successful Sheepvention 2023. It was great to see this iconic rural expo is returning to its pre-COVID role, with excellent crowds. It draws…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: WINDA-MARA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:56): Over the Sheepvention days I also had the privilege to meet with Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation at Budj Bim. I thank Winda-Mara CEO Jason Walker, Uncle Michael Bell and the Budj Bim rangers for the opportunity to learn firsthand…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: BANEMORE HEREFORDS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:57): On another matter, I also had the opportunity to visit Banemore, a property run by progressive farmers Jonathan Jenkin and Jo Vigliaturo. This second-generation farming venture in Herefords and sheep is in many ways an exemplar in taking…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: VICTORIAN TOURISM AWARDS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:44): I rise today to congratulate four towns in western Victoria who are among 17 finalists in the Victorian Tourism Industry Council awards: Ballarat, Warrnambool, Koroit and Aireys Inlet. Last week Ballarat in the top tourist town category and…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: KING’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:37): I rise today to congratulate the 28 residents of Western Victoria who received King’s Birthday honours – six AMs, 20 OAMs and two Public Service Medals. As ever I am struck by recipients’ extraordinary level of volunteering in…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: DAIRY INDUSTRY

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:47): I rise today to mark some fantastic achievements by the dairy industry in Western Victoria. Western Victoria’s great-tasting fresh milk helps to explain the outstanding medal tally at the Dairy Industry Association of Australia awards recently. Around three-quarters…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:48): Another competition that will produce outstanding results begins today at Larpent, the Victorian ploughing championships, followed by the national titles on Friday and Saturday. The Colac area has a very long tradition of hosting ploughing competitions. This week’s…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: WESTERN VICTORIA REGION SCHOOLS

GAYLE TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:58): I rise today in Education Week to celebrate some fantastic events in my electorate marking 151 years of public education in this state. Foremost is the near completion of the new state-of-the-art facilities at the Terang College…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

GAYLE TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:40): It is such a pleasure to note the ways in which the women of my electorate of Western Victoria are celebrating International Women’s Day 2023. This electorate is larger than Tasmania and diverse in economic activity and…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: JENNIFER MACAULAY

GAYLE TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:38): Recently the Governor-General announced that Jennifer Macaulay of Portarlington was one of two people to be awarded the honorary medal in the general division of the Order of Australia. Jenny is a long-term resident of Portarlington. She…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

GAYLE TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:48): I rise today to congratulate the 17 constituents of Western Victoria Region whose contributions to our community were recognised in January’s Order of Australia awards. Foremost is the late Archie Roach, just one of six Australians to…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: SHEEPVENTION

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: I rise today to report on the fantastic event that is Sheepvention. The Hamilton Spectator, on Saturday, July 30, said it so well: ‘Sheepvention homecoming’! Sheepvention is a huge annual rural…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: BANNOCKBURN FOOTBALL AND NETBALL CLUB

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: Last week I had great pleasure in joining the member for Geelong, Christine Couzens, in making an important announcement in Bannockburn that will make such a difference for the community and especially for…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: BACK TO BACK THEATRE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: It is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate Geelong’s Back to Back Theatre for an outstanding accomplishment on the world stage, winning the International Ibsen Award. Back to Back’s ensemble…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: MARYBOROUGH EDUCATION CENTRE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: I’m very pleased to report that last week I visited a fantastic example of a modern, inclusive educational precinct—Maryborough Education Centre—that is testimony to the priority that Labor governments have always given to…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: JACK DIAMOND

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: Last week I attended the funeral of Jack Diamond, and today I rise to pay tribute to Jack, who was a champion of public education and made an enormous public contribution to improving…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: COMMERCIAL HOTEL, TERANG

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: I rise today to inform the house of a wonderful experience I had recently, spending time at Terang’s Commercial Hotel—an emerging creative hub in the south-west. The hotel itself is a heritage site—the…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: I rise today to express Western Victoria’s pride in the 30 residents who received Australia Day honours. Foremost among them are Eve Kantor and Mark Wootton of Hensley Park, who became Officers of…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: REMEMBRANCE DAY

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September: I was honoured to attend Portarlington’s Remembrance Day ceremony and pleased to have my staff attend services in other beautiful and diverse locations, like the Point Danger memorial wall in Torquay, and in Ballarat,…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: DEMENTIA AUSTRALIA

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September: Today I rise to reflect on the important work of Dementia Australia, the peak body of people living with dementia, their families and carers. Its recent findings, that a dementia diagnosis results in discrimination,…

WARRNAMBOOL AND DISTRICT FOOD SHARE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September: I’m very pleased to draw the house’s attention to the achievements of Warrnambool and District Food Share, and to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of Dedy Friebe, who has worked tirelessly as executive officer for…

COVID-19

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:16): Barwon Heads has shown how a local community can pull together to help each other through the challenges of COVID-19. This small Bellarine village, best known as a holiday destination, showed us the best of community spirit. When a family contracted COVID-19, many…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: SPRINGDALE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:04): Today I would like to acknowledge the important role of community centres. They are the hub of learning, creativity, friendships and so much more. In late April I spent some time at SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre in Drysdale. Dianne Bennett, president, and Anne…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: BUDGET 2021-22

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:55): Coming off the back of volunteer week I was so pleased to see the impact of budget announcements in south-west Victoria. It was great to bring good news to Port Fairy SES volunteers, who have worked long and hard to obtain a…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: VICTORIAN ABORIGINAL HONOUR ROLL

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (10:39): Since 2011 the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll has recognised Aboriginal Victorians past and present who have made outstanding contributions to our state, and I am proud to advise that one-quarter of the 130 people on the roll are from the electorate of Western…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: MARRUNG EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS

MS TIERNEY: On another note, I would like to congratulate nine high-achieving Western Victorian students who have received $5000 in education scholarships over the final two years of their senior secondary education. This program started in 2019 and recognises students who show high potential to succeed in their chosen pathway and who have strong results…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: WESTERN VICTORIA REGION SCHOOLS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:55): Last week I joined two school communities in celebrating fantastic upgrades to their buildings and facilities. Brauer College in Warrnambool and Mortlake College P–12 can now experience an up-to-date education environment. $4.4 million has enabled Brauer to move to excellent new specialist spaces…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: VOLUNTEERING INNOVATION FUND

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:38): I rise today to congratulate volunteers working with three wetland projects in south-west Victoria—BirdLife Australia, the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network and the Nature Glenelg Trust—each receiving a $20 000 grant as part of the Volunteering Innovation Fund, which is part of Victoria’s Great…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:21): Teachers know that some of their students will experience mental health issues during their school career, and many of those young people will need expert assistance to help them to be well enough to focus on learning. Early mental health intervention is…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: WESTERN VICTORIA REGION SCHOOLS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (10:07): Today I draw the house’s attention to good news for schools in western Victoria. Mortlake P–12 joins Hamilton’s Baimbridge College and Murtoa College in a new tri-school partnership, which has been granted $40 000 to work together to significantly broaden the VCE curriculum.…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: AUSTRALIAN TRAINING AWARDS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Last Friday was the Australian Training Awards. I’m constantly impressed by the calibre of talent and achievement in Victoria, and this was very much on display at the national awards. And for the fifth year in a row, Victoria has taken out the Large…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: GREAT OCEAN ROAD

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education)  Last week there was great news for communities in the vicinity of the Great Ocean Road, in the south-west of my electorate. I was so pleased to be at Eastern View’s Memorial Arch for the announcement of a fantastic investment of $272.2 million…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: WOODFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) Woodford Primary is a wonderful school just north of Warrnambool. Its students are a mix of those living in Woodford itself, from nearby rural communities and a number travelling from Warrnambool. The school’s website makes it clear that this school does deliver on a…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: WESTERN VICTORIA REGION SCHOOLS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) In mid-October I had the absolute pleasure to announce some really exciting news to three schools in the State’s south-west—Hampden Specialist School, Terang College and Colac Specialist School. The Andrews Labor government is especially proud of its record in progressively upgrading schools for…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: WEST GATE BRIDGE TRAGEDY COMMEMORATION

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (10:13): The memorial park at the foot of pier 10 honours and remembers 35 men who lost their lives when the West Gate Bridge collapsed during construction. Today is the 50th anniversary of that terrible industrial disaster where 88 children lost their fathers. Each year there is…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: PORTLAND FISHING INDUSTRY

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) I rise today to highlight the importance of the fishing industry to Victoria’s economy, and in particular the role of Portland in Victoria’s south-west. Portland’s fishing fleet lands up to 40 per cent of Victoria’s catch. It goes without saying that fishing and aquaculture…

MEMBERS STATEMENTS: GUNDITJMARA HERITAGE PROJECTS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) In the 1830s a terrible event occurred near Portland, at a coastal area known as the ‘Convincing Ground’. European whalers, in advance of the wave of squatters who took over much of Western Victoria’s land, brutally wiped out almost all of the Kilcarrer…

COVID-19

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) I rise today to note the value of the Working for Victoria Fund in easing the devastating effect of job loss that is a direct result of COVID-19. I’m heartened to see the cooperation between regional shire councils and organisations like catchment management…

COVID-19 – Community Sport Sector Survival Package

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) I’d like to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s community sport sector COVID-19 survival package. Local sport clubs are close to the heart of regional communities as they provide fun, fitness and social connection. We need local clubs to survive the…

MORTLAKE P–12 COLLEGE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) I am pleased to update the house on some fantastic support the Andrews Labor government is giving to Mortlake P–12 College that will set their students and community up for recovery after the COVID pandemic has passed. For the first time this year…

COVID-19

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:40): I rise today to pay tribute to the residents of Western Victoria for managing an unprecedented time in education across both the state school system and the independent school system. This time of COVID-19 has certainly given new meaning to the concept…

DOUGLAS THOMPSON WALPOLE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:38): I rise to acknowledge the passing of a former member for Melbourne Province and good friend, Doug Walpole. Doug’s contribution to working people and progressive politics is well recognised across the labour movement, initially through his time as an Electrical Trades Union…

WANNON WATER

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:31): I rise today to congratulate Wannon Water for its fantastic carbon neutrality action plan, which is delivering an Australian first in Portland. By investing $4.2 million in a 50-metre-high wind turbine that will reduce carbon emissions by an average of 2500 tonnes a year,…

CREATIVE VICTORIA GRANTS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:17): I rise today to congratulate two organisations that are doing a fantastic job in extending creative opportunities in south-west Victoria. Red Rock Regional Theatre and Gallery at Cororooke has received $75 000 to create a space for workshops, rehearsals and performance plus a…

MEMBERS STATEMENT: GEELONG ARTS CENTRE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (13:08:53): Last night I had the privilege of attending the formal opening of the Geelong Arts Centre, the revitalised and redeveloped facility that was funded by the Andrews Labor government to the tune of $37 million, and it certainly is a great facility.…

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:55:00): Today I rise to inform the house of fantastic programs being put into practice in Western Victoria. Congratulations to the recently announced finalists in the Victorian Early Years Awards; seven of the 20 are located in my electorate. They are Delkaia Aboriginal…

STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

MS TIERNEY: In the south-west, four colleges—Apollo Bay P–12 College, Lavers Hill K–12 College, Lorne P–12 College and Colac Secondary College—are leading the way in supporting the mental health needs of regional Victorians. Recruitment is already underway to appoint mental health practitioners to work with students in each school every week starting in term 4.…

VICTORIAN DISABILITY AWARDS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:55:28): It is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate the members of Find Your Voice all-abilities choir from Warrnambool on their recent successes. The choir, led by inspiring Warrnambool musician Tom Richardson and facilitator Kylie Thulborn, was recently awarded the…

LORNE P–12 COLLEGE

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:43:47): Today I congratulate Lorne P–12 College for its outstanding achievement in engaging students in the Victorian certificate of applied learning (VCAL). Principal Shane Elevato and his staff deliver a program that is an exemplar to educators and schools in Western Victoria. Their…

STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

MS TIERNEY: That same emphasis on supporting students is reflected in a really significant initiative that will see schools having dedicated mental health practitioners on site. The Andrews Labor government understands the challenges faced by regional communities, especially young people living in farming areas. All schools aim to support students’ health and wellbeing, but welfare…

WESTERN VICTORIA REGION SPORTING CLUBS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (09:49:12): Last weekend I was very pleased to join the Bannockburn community in opening the Bannockburn Victoria Park netball courts. The completion of two competition-standard netball courts with new lighting plus undercover seating and fencing was made possible by a $100 000 grant…

The Geelong Project

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) (12:38:57) — I rise today to inform the house of a great project focused on early intervention to assist young people in Geelong. The Geelong Project — TGP — is a fantastic example of a homegrown, innovative strategy to deal with a very serious problem on a local scale. It has…

Anzac Day

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) (09:49:16) — Anzac Day this year had a special focus on the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, which is of particular significance for Australians. In April 1918 in a battle to reclaim lost ground on the Western Front in France there were over 2400 casualties out of 3900 Australians who…

Auslan training

Ms TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) (09:49:00) — Ms Lovell raised concerns yesterday by pronouncing that Auslan funding will cease at the end of this year. Let me be clear: there is no basis to this statement. What is true is that the current qualifications are being reviewed for re-accreditation in 2018, a process that is…

Look Good Feel Better

Ms TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) (13:06:39) — I rise to congratulate my constituents for the work they do in fundraising for excellent causes. Last week I was very pleased to take part in the Pink Ribbon Breakfast organised by the Bellarine Women’s Network in support of research into breast cancer. This very well attended…

Victorian Disability Awards

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — Last week many Western Victoria Region constituents received Victorian Disability Awards. The emerging leader award went to Warrnambool’s Bryce Pace, a year 12 Brauer College student. His outstanding effort in advocating for young people with autism makes Bryce, at 18, the youngest award winner. Bryce uses personal experience to…

Sheepvention

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — This week I attended my 11th Sheepvention in Hamilton, a fantastic western Victoria agricultural show and a cultural institution celebrating its 39th year. As ever, it was a great opportunity to meet constituents. Sheepvention incorporates the Hamilton and Western District Sheep Show, Suffolk being this year’s feature breed. Diversity — around…

Queen’s Birthday Honours

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — I rise to congratulate the 26 residents of Western Victoria Region whose achievements and contributions to their communities have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours recently. Three were awarded AMs, 22 received OAMs and one was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal. These western Victorians cover the full…

Basalt to Bay Landcare Network

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — On Saturday, 29 April, I had the opportunity to visit a really impressive example of revegetation and rehabilitation in my electorate of Western Victoria. The Basalt to Bay Landcare Network and the Green Line conservation and revegetation project from Koroit to Minhamite represents over five years of work under the…

Anzac Day

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — One of the best features of the two Anzac Day services I attended was the engagement of young people and children in the ceremonies and the dignity and respect they brought to the events. This was especially so at Portarlington, where school students and sporting team members attended,…

Catherine Jenkins and Vicki Perrett

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — I rise to draw attention to the contribution of two women working at a local level and making a significant difference to other women within very different communities. Catherine Jenkins of South Purrumbete is a western Victoria dairy farmer who is switched on to issues confronting the industry…

Timboon P-12 School

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — Last month the excitement of the Timboon P–12 School community past and present was absolutely clear as we turned the first sod of the long-awaited $5.2 million rebuild. This school community has laboured for years, never giving up, to realise a project beset by promises only to end in…

Emergency services volunteer funding

MS TIERNEY — On another note, this government’s $15 million emergency services volunteer sustainability grants program is boosting volunteer organisations statewide. Last week I announced 34 grants in my electorate for groups working hard to keep Victorians safe. These range from the Wye River Country Fire Authority (CFA) station extension to purchases of operational equipment and training for…

Penalty rates

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — Today is International Women’s Day. How distressing that we should be contemplating the impact of the Fair Work Commission’s decision to cut weekend and public holiday penalty rates in industries that have a high proportion of women. Many women in my electorate work weekends in hospitality, retail, pharmacy,…

Western Victoria Region roads

MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — I rise to speak about the enthusiastic response of western Victorian residents and industries to the Andrews Labor government’s funding for roads in the south-west — a response to calls for road upgrades and maintenance for well over a decade. In the past month the Andrews Labor…

Daniel Lutz and Vicki Jellie

 MS TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — I rise to congratulate two very different high achievers in my electorate of Western Victoria Region. Henty’s Daniel Lutz, just 24 years old, is one of 12 young farmers from across Victoria to receive a government scholarship of up to $10 000. These scholarships go towards agricultural…

Warrnambool Primary School and Maryborough Education Centre

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria) — I rise to congratulate two outstanding educational institutions — Warrnambool Primary School and Maryborough Education Centre — and their exceptional staff, most notably Warrnambool’s Jacqui Gore and Maryborough’s education support staff team. Both schools and Jacqui were recipients of 2016 Victorian Education Excellence Awards. The student bodies in these schools are very different,…

Sustainability Initiatives

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria) — I rise to speak about the exciting work of an innovative group in my electorate, Geelong Sustainability, whose efforts culminated in Sustainable House Day Geelong on 16 October. This open house gave an opportunity to see inside 14 houses and gardens designed, built, renovated or retrofitted with sustainability in mind across Geelong, the…

Country Fire Authority Warrnambool Brigade

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria) — On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the official opening of the Warrnambool fire station along with Rohan Luke, acting assistant chief officer of the south-west region; Paul Marshall, Warrnambool Country Fire Authority station officer; Richard Bourke, operations manager, district 5; Craig Lapsley, emergency services commissioner; and Lance Baillie, life member…

Ford Plant Closures

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria) — I rise today to acknowledge the tragic closure of the Ford Broadmeadows and Geelong plants last week. The consequences are yet to be fully realised across the state, but the effects are immediately felt by the workers involved. They have to rebuild their lives, as do the communities who so heavily…

Western Victoria Floods

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria) — My member’s statement relates to the ongoing impact of the record-breaking spring rainfalls in western Victoria. The shire communities of Glenelg, Southern Grampians and Buloke, among others, are dealing with the lasting effects of flooding after two major September rainfall events, each a 1-in-20-year event. They produced emergency situations to which the…

Bannockburn P-12 School

On Monday morning I had the pleasure of attending the site of the new Bannockburn P–12 school for the turning of the first sod. I want to thank all those who attended — students, teachers, parents and school councillors — for braving the weather to come out to help turn the sod. Construction is due to be…

Banyul-Warri Fields

On another note, I had the pleasure last Sunday of attending the official opening celebration for the Banyul-Warri Fields recreation zone along with members of the Torquay community, Surf Coast council representatives and other dignitaries. The Andrews government contributed $50 000 towards the project. The recreation zone was developed for people of all ages. It has…

Monica Hayes

Monica Hayes, a friend and constituent in western Victoria, passed away on 26 August. Monica was a community activist extraordinaire, an outstanding exemplar of commitment and advocacy in her communities — in Essendon when she was a councillor and mayor, and on the Bellarine from 2001. Monica was a social reformer and an agent of change, especially…

Port Fairy Folk Festival

The highly successful Port Fairy Folk Festival has been operating for 40 years under the helm of its founder, Dr Jamie McKew, who has now handed over the reins to the new director, Caroline Moore. In 1977 Dr McKew — and the Geelong Folk Club — saw the potential for something special for the booming folk music scene in this…

Employment

The Andrews Labor government is leading the way to create job opportunities and drive economic growth across regional Victoria. Before the 2014 state election Labor committed to creating 100 000 full-time jobs in the first two years of government, and we are on track to deliver that commitment and deliver it ahead of time. Data released in…

Forrest-Apollo Bay Road

Last month I had the pleasure of announcing $323 000 worth of Andrews Labor government funding for yet another road safety improvement project on the Forrest-Apollo Bay Road. This funding will address a history of run-off-road crashes, near misses and head-on collisions due to the curves along these roads, by installing guide posts, curve alignment markers,…

Warrnambool Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum

On another note, I was delighted to represent the Minister for Mental Health in Warrnambool last month at a wellbeing service provider forum. The forum was a chance to have a discussion with key figures in the mental health sector in western Victoria regarding the unique circumstances facing farmers in regional Victoria who may be…

Mount Moriac Reserve

On a final note, I wish to thank the Surf Coast shire and local members at Modewarre as well as the state government for providing moneys to revitalise the Mount Moriac Reserve at Modewarre with resurfaced tennis courts, the addition of basketball and netball rings and the creation of an open play space — — The ACTING…

Battle of Long Tan Commemoration

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August, Vietnam Veterans Day, I am pleased to congratulate two students from western Victoria who have been selected to take part in the 2016 Vietnam history study tour. The students, Lauren McIlveen of Camperdown College and Georgia Perris of Horsham College, are among…