While 2023 was never going to be as chaotic as the election year of 2022, MPs and politicians were still kept busy.
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With the Commonwealth Games on the chopping block, a national referendum and major local projects on the agenda, take a look back at the world of politics through the Greater Shepparton lens.
MPs taste the basin
Producers from the Murray-Darling Basin showcased their products at the Taste of the Basin event at Parliament House in Canberra on November 15.
The event was a joint initiative of MPs, including Sam Birrell, Sussan Ley, Tony Pasin, Anne Webster, Michael McCormack, Mark Coulton, David Littleproud and Senator Perin Davey.
Over 300 people, including MPs and senators from all sides of politics, attended the event and sampled the fine produce drawn from four basin states.
The event aimed to highlight the farmers, companies and workers who are passionate about what they produce for Australian consumers.
Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek attended the event and spoke with a number of producers, including SPC and Fonterra.
The event helped politicians to connect familiar products such as SPC snack packs and Perfect Italiano cheese to the place they are made and the people who proudly make them.
Walsh on outgoing premier
Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced his resignation on Tuesday, leaving behind a political legacy that was met with mixed reviews.
Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh was not shy in voicing his criticism of Mr Andrews’ leadership.
He said he would not praise the former premier, despite his resignation, because he did not believe Mr Andrews had done a good job for regional Victoria.
Mr Walsh accused Mr Andrews of making poor decisions that negatively impacted the region, such as his handling of the CFA and native timber industry.
Mr Andrews’ massive infrastructure projects, including the North-East Link and the West Gate tunnel project, were mostly focused on urban areas, leading to accusations he was neglecting regional Victoria.
Additionally, Mr Walsh said the state government’s policies had led to an increase in debt and a failure to deliver for regional Victoria.
Despite the resignation of Mr Andrews, Mr Walsh said he did not expect much to change under the leadership of Jacinta Allan, Mr Andrews’ replacement.
O’Keeffe votes Yes
State Member for Shepparton Kim O'Keeffe announced that she would vote Yes in the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Ms O’Keeffe said she had followed both sides of the Voice debate and made her decision after careful deliberation and discussions with constituents, particularly those in the First Nations community.
She also mentioned that Shepparton had one of the largest Indigenous communities outside Melbourne, and a “very high majority” of the local Indigenous people she had spoken with supported the Voice.
Ms O’Keeffe emphasised that it was an individual choice on which way to vote, and that each person’s decision should be respected.
Local Indigenous leaders campaigning for the Voice expressed appreciation for Ms O’Keeffe’s support.
Ms O’Keeffe said she hoped that everyone could move through the process in a calm and considerate manner.
John Lewis on Commonwealth Games cancellation
Former News journalist John Lewis said in his column the Victorian premier’s decision to cancel the state’s hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games caused a stir, with some seeing it as a sign of declining popular support for the event in post-colonial times.
While some criticised the move, others saw an opportunity for improved sports facilities contained in a $2 billion regional support package.
He said the decision to cancel the games may have been a reflection of difficult economic times or a sign of diminishing support for the event.
Furthermore, Mr Lewis found it unclear why the government thought staging the games was a good idea in the first place.
Mr Lewis said the name changes over the years reflected the fading power of the British Empire, and the cancellation could be a sign that the event was losing its relevance.
He pointed out there were undoubtedly larger questions to be asked about how a $2.6 billion budget could blow out to more than $6 billion in just over a year.
Birrell on Murray-Darling Basin Plan amendment
The Australian Labor-Greens deal to get changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan approved raised concerns about water buybacks.
The controversial plan amendment was passed in the Senate in late November.
It will require consideration of social and economic impacts on communities when decisions are made on returning Murray-Darling water to the environment.
The $13 billion plan aimed to return 450 gigalitres of water to the environment by June 2024, but that deadline has now been moved to the end of 2027.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell warned that the Labor-Greens deal on water was the worst outcome for farmers, manufacturers and communities across the Murray-Darling Basin.
He added that it was a clear betrayal and the end of the bipartisan approach to water reform.
Bypass bypassed
The proposed Shepparton bypass has been in the planning phase for over three decades.
Following a review of infrastructure projects, the Federal Government has withdrawn funding for the project, a decision criticised by politicians in the region.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell expressed disappointment and stated that the only hope for the bypass to be built was if Coalition governments were returned to power in Victoria and at a federal level.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the decision was proof that Labor governments at state and federal levels didn’t care about the safety and welfare of the Greater Shepparton community.
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe expressed her disappointment and surprise, said community safety and the importance of the region’s trucking and manufacturing industries should have been considered.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali called the decision a huge blow to the region, the state of Victoria and the nation.
GV Health development stalls
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell criticised the Victorian Government for failing to commit to funding for the second stage of the Goulburn Valley Health redevelopment.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas attended the opening of the $229 million emergency department, which was intended to be stage one of the hospital’s development.
Ms Lovell expressed her disappointment at the government’s lack of funding commitment for the completion of the hospital and a clinical health school.
She argued that the government needed to provide immediate funding to establish a health school and address the shortage of local nurses, midwives and allied health workers in the region.
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe expressed surprise at the health minister’s statement that the emergency department’s opening was the final stage of the hospital’s redevelopment.
Ms O’Keeffe pledged to continue pushing for funding for the hospital in parliament.
O’Keeffe pushes for stadium upgrade
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe urged Victorian Community Sport Minister Ros Spence to provide funding for the redevelopment of the Shepparton Sports and Event Centre.
The former facility was built in 1972 and had outgrown the needs of the community.
The redevelopments would have included a new facility with a 3000-seat show court.
Ms O’Keeffe believed that the project, which had completed design and costings, should have been a top priority, as the community was missing out on national and state basketball tournaments due to the facility not being up to standard.
She had emphasised the need for fair distribution of the $2 billion Regional Funding Package following the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games and had said that it was crucial to prioritise the redevelopment of the Shepparton Sports and Event Centre in the absence of the games and the economic and social benefits they would have provided.
A beer-y good visit
Executives representing Australia’s largest breweries, including Brewers Association chief executive John Preston, visited Shepparton as part of a nationwide tour of the brewing industry’s key locations.
They had been invited by Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell to the region, which grew hops and barley used in beer production, built tanks for fermentation and had several craft beer businesses.
The visitors toured a Dookie barley farm and enjoyed a meal at Shepparton Brewery.
The industry representatives explained the economic impact of domestic beer production to Mr Birrell and other visiting MPs.
Mr Preston said brewing in Australia contributed about $16 billion annually to the economy, with the industry purchasing around $500 million of hops and barley from farmers.
Mr Birrell highlighted the significant contribution of craft brewing to job creation and economic activity.
Educational inquiry welcomed
An inquiry was launched to scrutinise Victoria’s state education system, with the aim of enhancing learning outcomes and wellbeing in schools, especially in the face of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigation looked at teacher shortages, student learning progress, geographical and socio-economic disparities, student wellbeing and strategies to address issues such as mental health concerns, student disengagement and school refusal.
The inquiry also focused on the state of teaching and ways to alleviate the burdens faced by educators.
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe welcomed the inquiry but emphasised the need for further action to enhance educational outcomes, recognising the necessity of addressing the current approach.
Public submissions for the inquiry closed on Friday, October 13, and the findings and recommendations were expected to be presented in a report to parliament by June 25, 2024.
Cadet journalist