Media Releases

Local Member for Rodney, Paul Weller has supported action by the community to voice their opinion on the second river crossing for Echuca Moama ahead of a planned rally.

The rally is being organised by The Committee 4 Echuca Moama (C4EM) and is scheduled for Thursday June 28. 

“I support action by the community to voice their opinions on this most important issue” Mr Weller said.

Mr Weller said the Victorian Coalition Government went to the last election with a commitment to pursue the Mid-West 2 option. 

“We believe this to be the best option that accurately reflects community sentiment and allows the community to move forward,” Mr Weller said.

“The government remains committed to exploring all proper avenues for a route west of the cemetery and the planning investigation for all four alignment options needs to be completed,” he said. 

Mr Weller paid tribute to the group of local residents who have voluntarily committed their time, experience and expertise to the current community consultation process.

“I thank this group for the crucial role they are playing in ensuring the selection of the overall best performing and most beneficial alignment option west of the cemetery,” he said. 

Mr Weller said he shares the determination of The Committee 4 Echuca Moama (C4EM) to see the process through and deliver a much needed bridge for our community.

“I know how badly the people of Echuca-Moama want a new river crossing, but I also know that they want it to be built in the best possible location to meet the overall balanced needs of this community well into the future,” he said. 

Mr Weller said he looks forward to attending the rally.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan held several meetings today in Echuca.

Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller extended the invitation to Minister Ryan to spend a day in the Rodney Electorate.

Mr Ryan met with the Shire of Campaspe and a cross section of business and community organisations including the executive members of Committee for Echuca-Moama (C4EM).

“I am immensely impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm of C4EM,” Mr Ryan said.

The Baillieu Government was pleased to support C4EM with funding of $20,000 to develop their strategic plan and today’s meeting provided the Deputy Premier with an update on the progress of that Plan.

“I have met a number of times with the executive but  today’s meeting provided a terrific opportunity to discuss in detail the important priorities which C4EM has identified in the development of their strategic plan.” Mr Ryan said.

Local Member Paul Weller said that C4EM is working with local government and the community on a range of issues which are crucial to the future economic and social prosperity of Echuca-Moama.

“The government remains focused on the needs of regional Victoria and today’s meetings were pivotal in meeting that objective, Mr Weller said.

The Committee for Echuca-Moama (C4EM) has secured a $20,000 Victorian Coalition Government grant to assist with the development of its inaugural strategic plan.

Funding for the strategic plan was announced in State Parliament this week by Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Peter Ryan.

Member for Rodney, Paul Weller has commended the Government’s decision to support C4EM - a group that focuses on identifying priority projects, initiatives and issues that are crucial to the future economic and social prosperity of Echuca-Moama.

“I congratulate the Committee for Echuca-Moama, as an innovative, strategic and independent not-for-profit organisation for an initiative that places importance on local community interests and getting results,” Mr Weller said.

The C4EM was established in July 2011 with an aim to address local issues in a unified way, to grow and nurture district leaders, foster investment and develop both public and private partnerships within the community.

Chief Executive Officer of C4EM, Hayden Cock said the development of the strategic plan was a critical next step for the organisation.

“The plan will be developed by C4EM members to reflect their vision and aspirations for the future growth and prosperity of Echuca-Moama,” Mr Cock said.

“It will act as the blueprint for seeking action from the relevant levels of government and other stakeholders and for the advancement and delivery of the identified priority projects and initiatives,” he said.

“C4EM is extremely grateful to local Member for Rodney, Paul Weller for his support of the committee’s application for funding, to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Peter Ryan and the Victorian Government for making the grant available,” he said.

The strategic plan funding has been made available through the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund’s Putting Locals First Program, a $100 million initiative that enables regional communities to devise and deliver service and infrastructure responses that reflect local priorities.

Mr Weller said the Coalition Government initiative aims to support stronger and more sustainable regional communities and to build their capacity to drive economic and social development in their regions.

“Groups like the C4EM play an important role in advocating for regional interests and priorities and build capacity for the community to develop local solutions,” Mr Weller said.

The strategic plan is expected to be finalised in May following an extensive member engagement process over the next six weeks.

Small businesses in the Echuca area will be able to access relevant, reliable and affordable information on greening their businesses thanks to a forthcoming seminar announced today by the Member for Rodney Paul Weller.

Mr Weller said the Green Your Business, Grow Your Business seminar would be held at the Shire of Campaspe Function Room at 6.30pm on Thursday 10 November.

“This event is delivered by Small Business Victoria in partnership with Shire of Campaspe,” he said.

“It is a great opportunity for Echuca businesses to obtain expert professional business advice at a convenient location and for a low cost.”

Small Business Victoria’s Workshop and Seminar Program is being delivered throughout the state, with over 3,000 small businesses likely to benefit during the course of 2011.

It provides businesses and prospective business owners with the facts and advice needed to make informed decisions and create a platform for ongoing success.

The program covers topics including: starting up; financial management; employing people; and marketing. All workshops and seminars are delivered by private sector business specialists who are well-qualified and experienced in small business.

Innovation, Services and Small Business Minister Louise Asher said the Coalition Government recognised the vital role Victoria’s 495,000 small businesses played in the life of the State.

“We are committed to encouraging small business and individual initiative, and to creating an environment that rewards those who work hard, save, invest and create employment,” she said.

For more information about other workshops and seminars that are available please go to: www.business.vic.gov.au/workshops

Member for Rodney Paul Weller has commenced an investigation to determine the feasibility of extending natural gas to subdivisions in the Echuca East area off the Murray Valley Highway.

As part of the study, Mr Weller is working to determine the level of community support for such a proposal by seeking expressions of interest from residents who live in subdivisions east of Mary Ann Rd.

Mr Weller has written to households in Scott Rd, Mary Ann Rd, Tasman Crt, Airlie Crt, Meadow Crt, Village Crt, Wallingford Crt, Cash Crt and Kelsh Rd this week to gauge their support for the proposal and to determine their willingness to contribute financially to help secure a natural gas supply.

“Until such time as we can determine the level of support for this proposal it is impossible to provide a definitive figure as to the level of financial commitment required by individual households,” he said.

“However, obviously the more households to indicate a willingness to make a financial contribution, the lower the individual cost and the greater the strength of the argument to secure a natural gas supply.”

Mr Weller said he had already been contacted by many residents who were prepared to make a financial contribution in return for access to the natural gas network.

He said the renewed interest in the issue had been triggered by reports that a new residential development in Scott Road (next to Echuca Race Course) was investigating options to have a natural gas connection to the blocks of land for sale.

“I can confirm that the developers of this estate are working to secure a natural gas supply to the development.

“With that in mind, it seems an opportune time to revisit this issue and to attempt to build the argument to extend natural gas to the whole area.”

Mr Weller said he had written to the Minister for Energy and Resources Michael O’Brien to determine what his department may be able to offer in terms of finding a way to progress the distribution of natural gas in an equitable manner to all households in the area.

He said the Minister had advised that residents must be able to convince a gas distribution company that they had the numbers to make the project viable for them to consider taking it on.

“I have therefore written to all applicable residents to seek their support for this proposal to assist us in progressing the matter further.

“Once that feedback has been received, we will be in a much stronger position to put the case to a gas distribution company for consideration.”

Mr Weller said he was aware that some households in the area were leased by tenants and encouraged the landlords of those properties to also contact him to provide their feedback.

He said it was crucial that all households in the relevant area participate in the investigation if it was to have any chance of success.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan will visit the Rodney electorate tomorrow, Wednesday 5 October to officially open the new agribusiness pavilion at the Elmore Field Days.

As part of the visit, Mr Ryan will also make a major funding announcement for an integrated bioenergy project at Madowla Park near Echuca.

The Deputy Premier will also meet with representatives from the Committee 4 Echuca-Moama (C4EM) which was recently established to identify new economic and social development opportunities for the district.


Event 1
What: Official opening of Elmore Field Days Agribusiness Pavilion
When: Wednesday 5 October, 2011
Time: 11am
Where: Elmore Field Days, Midland Hwy, Elmore


Event 2
What: Deputy Premier to make funding announcement for integrated bio energy project
When: Wednesday 5 October, 2011
Time: 1pm
Where: Madowla Park, 1584 Stewarts Bridge Road, Lower Moira


Event 3
What: Deputy Premier to meet with C4EM
When: Wednesday 5 October, 2011
Time: 2.45pm
Where: Rodney Electorate Office, 26 Percy St, Echuca.

The Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller has welcomed today’s commencement of the review of school bus network services at Echuca.

The review is designed to help ensure school buses operate efficiently and effectively and that bus services in the district continue to match demand.

In State Parliament today Mr Weller said he was confident the review process, unlike that under the previous Labor Government, would be a constructive one.

He said he had met with the independent consultants carrying out the review yesterday and was satisfied the new guidelines were appropriate.

“The review ordered by the previous Labor Government was put on hold after it attracted a storm of protest from both school bus operators and the parents of school students regarding the lack of extensive consultation undertaken as part of the review,” he said.

“At the change of government, I requested the new Minister for Transport Terry Mulder to put the existing review aside and carry out a new, more inclusive process.

“The Minister agreed that a more constructive consultation process was needed and as a result the Department of Transport and the Bus Association Victoria have recently agreed upon a set of guidelines for how future school bus reviews will be undertaken.”

Mr Weller said the new guidelines required that the school bus reviews include consultation with relevant stakeholders, including school principals and bus operators.

“This has been an excellent result and one which I am sure will give much greater reassurance and confidence to bus operators and parents of students using school buses in my electorate and right across the state,” he said.

“The review of the Echuca bus network commences with a meeting in Echuca today and I look forward to following that review process with interest.”

The Murray Region, including Echuca, will be profiled by leading New Zealand media publications to highlight the region is open for business.

Member for Rodney Paul Weller said New Zealand media from leading newspapers such as the Otago Daily Times, Hawke’s Bay Today and Herald on Sunday had begun a four-day tour of the region as part of a Coalition Government sponsored international marketing campaign.

“The visit will raise the profile of towns including Echuca for the 500,000 readers of the New Zealand publications,” Mr Weller said.

“It’s no secret that our local tourism industry has experienced some difficult challenges in recent times and this visit will provide invaluable international exposure to our many wonderful sites and attractions.”

Mr Weller said the visit was part the Victorian Coalition Government’s $2.5 million Tourism Flood Recovery Program designed to encourage visitation to flood affected regions.

New Zealand is the largest single source market for international visitors to Victoria and the second in terms of expenditure behind China. For the year ending March 2011, New Zealand overnight visitors reached $333 million, representing year-on-year growth of 22 per cent.

“The Coalition Government understands the significant impact the floods have had on the regional tourism industry, both in terms of infrastructure and visitation,” Mr Weller said.

“That is why an additional $1.5 million of tourism floods relief funding was recently announced through the 2011-12 State Budget.”

Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller has rejected claims by the Murray Shire that it would take at least four years for studies to be completed for the mid-west 2 Murray River bridge option.

Mr Weller said the Victorian Roads Minister and VicRoads had confirmed the planning studies would be completed within 12 to 18 months after which time the necessary planning approvals would be obtained to enable funding applications to be made for construction.

Mr Weller said calls by some Murray Shire councillors to scrap the investigation of the mid-west 2 corridor alignment and re-instate the mid-west option would do nothing to fast-track construction of a new bridge.

“To say that this will enable an early resolution to the bridge issue is completely inaccurate and misleading,” he said.

“It won’t affect the timeline for construction of a new bridge in any way, shape or form.

“The fact of the matter is that there was no money in the former Victorian Labor Government’s forward projections for the next four years for a bridge for Echuca-Moama, so even if Labor was still in power, not a sod of dirt would have been turned on this project during this term of government.”

Mr Weller said the Liberal-National Coalition was elected on a commitment to the people of Echuca to investigate a mid-west 2 corridor.

“This alignment was formulated by representatives from the Community Consultation Group (CCG) and Save Vic Park group and has far greater community support than the mid-west option,” he said.

“The planning studies are well underway for this corridor and I promise that everything is being done to ensure the process is carried out as expeditiously as possible.”

Small Business Victoria’s Mobile Business Centre is gearing up to deliver free face-to-face business mentoring and face-to-face assistance to businesses in Echuca on Thursday July 7.

The Mobile Business Centre will visit 40 locations in regional Victoria, including Echuca, during the year. Regional businesses will have direct access to a Small Business Victoria presence in their own community.

State Member for Rodney Paul Weller said the objective of the 2011 Mobile Business Centre program was to deliver targeted support to Victorian small businesses, wherever they are located.

“Small business owners, particularly those in regional areas, often face difficulties accessing reliable information, or they lack the time to go out and get business advice to help them make decisions for their business,” said Mr Weller.

“The Mobile Business Centre will help to fill this information gap as it travels throughout regional Victoria delivering services that meet the needs of small businesses.

The Coalition Government knows from business and community leaders throughout Victoria just how valued the services of the Mobile Business Centre are.

“While the Mobile Business Centre is in Echuca, small business owners will be able to access the full range of Small Business Victoria services, including face-to-face mentoring from the Small Business Mentoring Service, and access to the Business Victoria website.”

Small business people affected by the recent floods have already been able to use the Mobile Business Centre this year to help them get back on their feet.

The Mobile Business Centre will be behind Carters, 438-454 High Street, Echuca, from 10am - 4pm, on Thursday July 7.

Details of the locations and dates for the 2011 Mobile Business Centre tour and information on how to book a mentoring session can be found at www.businessvic.gov.au/mbc or by calling Small Business Victoria on 13 22 15.