OPINION

By MARTHA HAYLETT

IT’S been great meeting so many locals across the Loddon Shire recently – whether at my mobile office in Inglewood, at the Rheola Charity Carnival, the Newbridge hotel, or Bridgewater Memorial Hall and Bowling Club.
I’ve had the pleasure of judging the Easter hat oarade at Tarnagulla Primary School, discussing child care needs with mums in Wedderburn, touring Inglewood and Districts Health Service, and catching up with local CFA members. 
In my visits, I am constantly reminded of the importance of our emergency service volunteers to our rural communities. They are the lifeblood of our communities, and they need the right equipment to do what they do best.
I encourage all interested CFA brigades and SES units across the Loddon Shire to apply for the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program hat has recently opened.
The State Government has made almost $15 million available for emergency services volunteer groups to purchase essential operational equipment, vehicles and appliances, and minor facility improvements too.
For more information, groups can visit www.emv.vic.gov.au/vesep. They can also contact my office for further information and a letter of support to include in their application. Recently, I also contacted all Landcare groups across the shire to encourage them to apply for the 2023 Victorian Landcare and Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants – which are also now open.
Up to $20,000 is available for on-ground works and community education projects that protect or improve the natural environment. Support grants of up to $500 are also available to help with group administration and running costs.
Grants of up to $5000 are also available for projects that provide kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, youth groups in the Loddon Shire with an opportunity to participate in hands-on projects such as planting indigenous gardens, building habitat to attract native insects and birds, collecting data about nature, and excursions to wildlife sanctuaries.
More information can be found at www.environment.vic.gov.au/grants/victorian-landcare-grants.
In my travels across the shire, including in Wedderburn, Inglewood and Bridgewater, locals continue to raise concerns with road safety and maintenance with me.
I have raised these issues directly with Regional Roads Victoria and encourage any locals to contact me directly about problem roads in their area. I’m also pleased that the State Labor Government has recently announced a new $210 million Safer Local Roads and Streets Program.
The program will design and deliver safer infrastructure upgrades for communities including raised crossings, intersection upgrades, speed cushions, kerbing upgrades, pedestrian islands, safer speeds, and roundabouts.
Recognising the barriers local governments face in delivering road safety improvements, the program will support local governments to identify road safety issues in their area and implement solutions.
An expression of interest process will be held for councils interested in the first phase of the program.
As part of this phase, up to 10 councils will be selected to participate and begin trialling approaches that will then be rolled out to all 79 councils.
Local councils know their area best and can help us identify the road safety improvements required to reduce the risks and impact of trauma on local roads.
* Martha Haylett is the member for Ripon