Rochester will throw its hat in the ring to host a regional sitting of parliament if a motion from State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell is passed in the Victorian Legislative Council in May.
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Ms Lovell, one of five Northern Victorian representatives in the Upper House, tabled a motion in parliament earlier this month calling for a future sitting of the Legislative Council to be held in a regional area impacted by the October 2022 floods.
Rochester was the worst affected town in the region and Ms Lovell said the town would be part of the discussion for what would be a significant financial stimulus.
Parliament could complete a fitting tribute to the horrible events of October last year as its October 16-18 sitting marks the one-year anniversary since the banks of the Campaspe River overflowed in to the township.
“I’ve called for it (the parliamentary sitting) to be held in north-central Victoria, where and when it would be appropriate. I have not stipulated a town,” Ms Lovell said.
“It would be lovely to say let’s just have it in Rochester, but parliament needs to take into consideration security, parking, accommodation and a host of other factors.
“That wouldn’t rule out Rochester, but there needs to be further discussion if the motion is passed in parliament.”
An influx of 40 MPs, along with their own staff, ministerial staff, attendants, Hansard reporters, parliamentary staff, sound operators, security and other connected personnel would descend on regional Victoria for the sitting.
Ms Lovell said, in all, it would mean about 150 people coming to the area, along with the metropolitan media throng that such an event would attract.
It was Ms Lovell who drove the motion which resulted in the Victorian Upper House members conducting a sitting of parliament in Bright three years after the horrendous bushfires in that region.
“That sitting provided a significant boost for the local economy as most members stayed two or three nights in Bright,” she said.
“A regional sitting generates other significant activities in the region such as regional sittings of parliamentary committees and other stakeholder engagement.
“These sittings also provide the opportunity for local schools and residents to observe State Parliament at work without the need to travel to Melbourne.”
Ms Lovell said, at the very least, it would be fitting for the likes of the flood inquiry committee to sit in Rochester and not only see, but also hear first-hand of the ongoing effects of the flood.
“There is the duck shooting conmittee and the flood inquiry that could hold sittings. They are usually the day before or after parliament sits,” she said.
If the motion is accepted by the 40-member Legislative Council, a consultaton process is expected to begin with at least three of the most severely affected local government areas — Mitchell Shire (Seymour), Greater Shepparton (which includes Mooroopna) and Campaspe Shire (Echuca, Rochester and district) — to be considered.
Ms Lovell said a visit would also involve ministers and shadow ministers engaging with groups in the area.
“The Health Minister may visit the hospital (REDHS) and the Emergency Services Minister (in this case another Northern Victorian Upper House member, Jaclyn Symes) could meet with the likes of the CFA and SES,” Ms Lovell said.
“There is usually a reception the night before, which might not be in the same town as the sitting.”
Given the demands for infrastructure, Rochester may be considered an outsider to host the sitting, when put up against the likes of Benalla, Shepparton and Echuca, or even Mooroopna.
None of those, however, suffered the devastation of the Rochester township.
Ms Lovell said, as was the case in Bright, members were transported by bus to different locations.
Her motion will be up for discussion in May.
“There are only three of those days it can be moved on. I am hopeful of May 3,” Ms Lovell said.
“These used to be done regularly.
“We forced the government to stage the Bright event and hopefully we get support from the crossbench to force this to happen.”
Ms Lovell said the government had 15 members and the opposition 14 in the Legislative Council.
“We need at least seven of the 11 crossbenchers to get it across the line,” she said.
Among those crossbenchers are Invergordon farmer and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party member Rikki-Lee Tyrrell. Her vote of support is almost assured.
"Of those 11, there are strong regional connections, but none of the Greens and cannabis (party) are regional,“ Ms Lovell said.
She said to vote against a motion like this would be fairly serious for anyone to oppose, considering the goodwill it would create in regional Victoria.
She said considering the devastation to the Rochester community, if the motion was successful, she would be pleading the case of Rochester to be involved in some capacity with the regional sitting.
"Rochester was the town that was the most affected. It would be appropriate for the parliament to at least hold something in the town, perhaps even a civic reception,“ she said.
“I will be encouraging every member of parliament to travel through Rochester, stop and spend some money and talk to a local.”
MS LOVELL’S MOTION
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has tabled a motion in Victorian Parliament calling for a future sitting of the Legislative Council to be held in a regional area impacted by the October 2022 floods.
Ms Lovell tabled the following motion:
That this house:
(1) acknowledges the serious impact of the recent floods in Victoria;
(2) meets and sits in a flood-affected community in central northern Victoria for one day in October or November 2023;
(3) requires the president and the clerk of the Legislative Council to consult with the Mitchell Shire Council, the Greater Shepparton City Council, the Campaspe Shire Council, other flood-affected local government areas in northern Victoria, and other parliamentary staff in relation to choosing an appropriate date and specific location for the regional sitting to occur; and
(4) authorises the president to do all things necessary to facilitate the council sitting in central northern Victoria in October or November 2023.
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