Media Releases

Member for Rodney, Paul Weller has called for community feedback regarding important cross- border issues that affect residents living along our state borders.

The Victorian Government made an election commitment to invite neighbouring governments to cross-border Cabinet meetings to work together to reduce the regulatory burdens on businesses and companies operating along our state borders.

“There are many cross-border issues in regards to health and safety that have been brought to our attention in the past and this is an idea opportunity for both businesses and residents in the Rodney Electorate to work together to achieve better outcomes,” Mr Weller said.

“The cross-border Cabinet meetings are a chance to address the many anomalies that face those residing along our state borders and the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) is currently negotiating with NSW to identify ways to resolve cross-border issues more quickly,” he said.

It is hoped the cross-border Cabinet meetings will develop important processes that can be put in place throughout 2012 and beyond.

Rural residents now have greater access to the DPC with the establishment of regional offices in Bendigo and Ballarat. The Bendigo office services the whole of the Loddon Mallee region and is playing a key role in the establishment of the new cross-border consultation processes.

If there are any specific, important cross-border issues you would like to bring to the attention of DPC you can email me at paul.weller@parliament.vic.gov.au or contact my office on 54 822 039.

Some real progress has been made on tackling cross-border problems, according to Nationals Member for Rodney, Paul Weller.

Mr Weller attended the Victoria-NSW Local Representatives Cross-Border Issues Consultation Forum held at Swan Hill last Friday.

“There is no doubt that a lot of the issues are tricky, and a number of different viewpoints have to be taken into account. However, there was a genuine spirit of co-operation at the forum, and I feel some good progress was made,” he said.

Mr Weller said that it now looked likely that the situation where a Victorian-based school bus operator required a second licence to do charter work into New South Wales could be resolved.

“It happens regularly that Victorian school bus operators are required to do charter work across the border, and in the past, they have required a second licence. There was a common view that this should not be the case, and authorities in both states have undertaken to resolve that situation,” Mr Weller said.

He said concerns he had raised at the forum in relation to the difference in landfill levies in the two states also prompted a positive discussion.

“I had fears that because of an increase in levies on landfill being imposed in Victoria, a lot of that waste would in the future be dumped across the river in NSW, where levies are much cheaper.

“This could eventually lead to pollution in the Murray River.

“However, there was general agreement that there should be correlation between the charges on both sides of the border, and there will be further talks on this.”

Mr Weller said the one area where there was not a lot of progress was on the issue of reciprocal fishing licences.

“There is a concern that one government would miss out on revenue if this was done, leading to a cutback in the work they can they do on boat ramps and other river-based facilities.

“This issue needs to be resolved by the two governments coming to an agreement before we meet next year,” he said.

Rising Victorian landfill levies and the damage they can ultimately cause to the environment will again by raised by Nationals Member for Rodney, Paul Weller, this week.

Mr Weller will speak on the issue at the Victoria-NSW Local Representatives Cross-Border Issues Consultation Forum at Swan Hill on Friday.

He said the lack of consultation between the two state governments would lead to Victorian landfill waste being pushed across the border to NSW, with possible disastrous consequences for the Murray River through seepage.

“There is a state-of the art landfill managed by Ellwaste at Patho, but the State Government’s move to substantially raise disposal levies could see waste being transported to the un-levied landfill dump at Moama.

“Not only would we have a situation where the environment is damaged along the river, but we could also see a dramatic increase in illegal dumping and a loss of jobs in northern Victoria if landfills are forced to close,” he said.

Mr Weller said he would be pushing hard for more joint consultation between the Victorian and NSW Labor governments to ensure that levies are apportioned  in the same manner and at the same level on both sides of the border.

Mr Weller said he would also be supporting his Nationals colleague, Ken Jasper (MLA Murray Valley) who will be speaking at the forum on the need for reciprocal fishing licences.

Mr Weller said that the push to have such an agreement had been going on for a number of years and had become a real issue for recreational fishermen on both sides of the river.

“It, like the landfill, is just one of a large range of anomalies which need to be ironed out, and hopefully this Friday at Swan Hill, we can make some real progress,” Mr Weller said.