Let there be rock
Dear Editor,
Great news to see that while announcing the new community of 50,000 people to be developed between beveridge and Wallan, the government also considered the huge requirement for quarry materials to support this growth and approved the application to develop the quarry to provide quarry materials that do not have to be transported for 30 or 40 kms away and reducing the need for huge transport costs.
The quarry is to be developed by a family company that has been in the industry for many many decades and operated quarries in very close proximity (one third of the buffer zone that will be in Wallan) to houses and has an impeccable reputation for working with the community and the environment to operated within their environmental considerations Mitchell Shire and it’s activists have run a very costly and extremely negative campaign to try and stop this very necessary industry.
One can only hope that the Mitchell Shire will get back to focusing on the issue of roads rates an garbage that they have overlooked for too long.
Congratulations to Ron Kerr and his team for not giving up and soon bringing a much need natural resource to fruition.
Dale J Wise
Hidden Valley
The circus continues
What a surprise to see the proposed development at Beveridge and the quarry at Wallan featured on the national news.
Council, along with the State and Federal Governments, has known about this development for years and has done nothing about it.
There was the Merrifield development, Cloverton, the Outer Metropolitan Ring road E6, the Wallan/Kilmore bypass, Watson Street Wallan on/off ramps, Beveridge Intermodal and of course the Cameron’s Lane interchange.
Every level of Government knew about the development, but did nothing to duplicate the Hume Freeway or build the E6 Outer Metropolitan Ring Road to cater for the future development.
Wallan and Kilmore residents fought for eight years to get a bypass of both towns. Wallan residents also fought against a quarry that was going next to a housing development, and all were kept in the dark.
The Wallan quarry and Beveridge Intermodal are being built for the benefit of Labor Party supporters.
The Weekly Times did an article years ago about the Beveridge Intermodal and its connection to a WA developer and Labor donor with the headline “Who Knew?” and a picture of former Treasurer Tim Pallas.
The result of all this development will be a Hume Freeway parking lot. The cost of all this development will be astronomical to cater for all this traffic if it ever gets done.
The Watson Street on/off ramps should have been built when the freeway was being constructed. The former Liberal Government put $50 million towards their construction, but got voted out of office before anything could be done about the ramps.
The Member for McEwen and his Government are still talking about it, and then they promote the Cameron’s Lane interchange at $300 million. This cost has now ballooned out to $900 million.
Goodness knows what the final cost of all this development will be to the Australian taxpayers.
I suggest that residents in Wallan build a helipad for their houses instead of a garage because it will require a helicopter to get them out of the area.
Brian Mawhinney
Traralgon
A powerful campaign
Dear Editor,
I welcome the launch of Respect Victoria’s new campaign,What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be?
This important campaign highlights the harm caused by rigid gender stereotypes and encourages men to reflect on traditional expectations of masculinity, such as needing to be in control, hiding vulnerability, or asserting dominance. It asks men to consider how these expectations affect their relationships and the broader community.
By sharing the voices and lived experiences of real Victorian men from diverse backgrounds, the campaign promotes honest reflection rather than judgement.
It aims to build healthier relationships and more respectful communities.
The initiative is grounded in research and developed in partnership with frontline experts and respected organisations including Jesuit Social Services, No to Violence, The Man Cave, and the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.
This work is urgent. Breaches of family violence orders are now the most frequent or second most frequent criminal offence in all six local government areas across the Euroa electorate.
Towns like Seymour and Benalla, which have some of the highest rates of family violence in Victoria, still lack dedicated physical support services.
The latest figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show sharp increases over the past year: 21 per cent in Strathbogie, 14 per cent in Mitchell, 21 per cent in Benalla, three per cent in Campaspe, 10 per cent in Greater Bendigo, and 31 per cent in Greater Shepparton.
Rates in Benalla, Greater Shepparton, and Mitchell remain far above the state average. We are facing a family violence crisis. Campaigns like this are a vital step forward.
Annabelle Cleeland
Member for Euroa