Three tight-knit Myrtlebank families will be divided if a major bypass through their properties goes ahead. But they’re advocating for......

By DAVID BRAITHWAITE   THE Victorian Auditor-General’s Office has confirmed what many people already know – our roads need to be fixed. The Auditor-General’s Maintaining State Roads report, tabled in state parliament last week, revealed almost half of Victoria’s state road network was rated to be in poor or very poor condition in 2024. Among the key findings from the report include 48 per cent of roads were in poor or very poor condition in 2024, up from 39 per cent in 2021, and government funding was insufficient to maintain or improve the condition of Victorian roads. The report also found the gap between the number of road defects recorded and those repaired doubled between January 2025 and June 2026, and there was a substantial and growing maintenance backlog which was accumulating faster than it could be addressed. The government has meaningful data on road maintenance performance but refuses to release it publicly, it was found. Shadow Roads and Road Safety Minister, and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said the report was a devastating indictment of more than a decade of Labor government neglect. “Victorians already know our roads are an appalling mess but the Auditor-General has now revealed why,” he said. “Labor hasn’t provided enough funding, plans to cut it again next year after the election, and has failed to deliver the preventative maintenance that will stop potholes forming in the first place. “Ben Carroll cut $214 million from the roads maintenance budget over two years while he was roads minister and his election-eve promises to fix the roads won’t be believed by Victorians who are sick of his potholes. “Only the Liberals and Nationals have a plan to get maintenance back on track with our $5 billion plan over four years. This is a 25 per cent annual increase on the current spend, and we’ll take action to get more accountability from contractors and ensure value-for-money for taxpayers.” Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) President Ryan Milgate said the findings further reinforced the fact the state of Victoria’s roads was in crisis. “This is a damning report, but it won’t come as a surprise to anyone living in regional Victoria. We have been telling the government for years that our roads are crumbling and the current approach is simply not keeping up,” he said. “Farmers are driving these roads every day. We see the potholes, the crumbling road edges and the endless temporary patches. The road network is deteriorating faster than the government is repairing it.” The report also found a third of Victoria’s roads had just five years of usable life remaining and the Department of Transport has warned it needs at least $3 billion a year to maintain them. Mr Milgate said the figures demonstrated Victoria’s current level of road investment was not sustainable. “You cannot keep underfunding road maintenance and expect the network not to deteriorate. The numbers are now telling us exactly what farmers and regional Victorians have been telling us for years,” he said. “We’re all paying for these roads to be maintained, so it is not good enough for repairs to be delayed, or for taxpayers to then pay again when poor-quality work has to be redone. “We need to rebuild roads that are fit for purpose and last. That is better for farmers, better for regional communities and ultimately better value for Victorian taxpayers.” Mr Milgate said the upcoming election was an opportunity for all sides of politics to put forward their plan to fix Victoria’s roads mess. “Rural Victoria keeps this state moving and our roads deserve real investment. It’s at crisis point now and there’s now no option but to front up the investment and get our roads fixed,” Mr Milgate said. Roads Minister Paul Hamer said the government had recognised that the condition of roads needed to be improved, having recently announced a $352 million boost to road maintenance funding in this financial year. “I think the report makes it very clear that the approach that is currently being taken to road maintenance is not working, and that we need to do better,” he said. The government will use the funding to double the number of potholes fixed this year – from 250,000 to 500,000. According to the government, that is double the number of potholes the Coalition claimed it would fix in a given year.  

The state Opposition has promised to improve local roads that take regional Victorians home and to school, work and the shops...

My name is Andrei Cebotar. I’m 37, I live in Moldova, and I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

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By DAVID BRAITHWAITE   THE National Party has begun a new pre-selection process for its candidate for Gippsland East at the November state election. The pre-selection process was triggered by incumbent MP Tim Bull’s announcement that he will be stepping down at the election after 16 years in parliament. In the wake of Mr Bull’s announcement, prominent East Gippsland voice Mick Harrington said via social media and a newspaper column of his intention to nominate, while Gemma Rendell, a teacher from the Bairnsdale area, is also known to be seeking pre-selection. The Express understands at least one other member is throwing their hat in the ring to be the Nationals candidate. However, Mr Harrington has since announced he has withdrawn from the race. Mr Harrington, a grand finalist in TV singing contest The Voice, has been executive director of Forest and Wood Communities Australia and worked in Mr Bull’s electorate office, said he had changed his mind after conversations with his “family, close mates and mentors”. “It hasn’t been an easy decision because the fire in the belly is still there. I still care deeply about our region, our communities and the future of country Victoria,” he posted on social media. “But at this point in my life, my biggest priority is my family. With an already busy life with four young kids under nine, I want to make sure I can give them a good life and, most importantly, be the best dad I can be for them while they’re growing up. “It hasn’t been an easy decision because the fire in the belly is still there. I still care deeply about our region, our communities and the future of country Victoria,” he posted on social media. In an email sent to National Party members, seen by the Express, Ms Rendell told members she and Mr Bull had discussed the possibility of her running. “Over recent months, Tim and I have shared many conversations and coffees, and I’m grateful for both his encouragement to stand and his generosity with his time. He has already introduced me to some members, and I look forward to meeting many more of you in the weeks ahead,” Ms Rendell wrote. “I am a passionate deer and pest-control hunter, have competed at state level in equestrian disciplines, and spent many years volunteering, coaching and judging through local pony clubs, agricultural shows and community events. I also played and coached both junior and senior netball across Bairnsdale and the Omeo district for many years. “Professionally, I am a teacher and have worked across childcare, kindergarten, primary and secondary education. Through that experience, I have become increasingly passionate about ensuring regional students and families have access to high-quality education.” Mr Bull confirmed with the Express he has had discussions with Ms Rendell, as well as Mr Harrington. “I’ve been talking to (Ms Rendell). I think it’s incumbent on a retiring member to ensure that there is a plan in place to make sure you’ve got at least one good person who’s prepared to put their hand up to fill your boots, but that will ultimately be up to the membership,” he said. “Yes, I did identify Gemma. I’ve known her for a little while, and through interactions, I think she’s a very impressive individual. I have been talking to her about in the event that I do retire from parliament, that she might be interested in putting up her hand and in those discussions, she was very keen to do so. I’m very, very pleased that she has done so. “(Mr Harrington) had a fair idea that it was a chance that I would not go on and we had a conversation a while ago where he indicated that he probably would be running. He’s obviously reflected on that and changed his mind. “We’ll have a fair and open and transparent (pre-selection) process, and I have chatted to him (Mr Harrington), since my retirement and we’re good mates and we will continue to be good mates as well, absolutely.” Mr Bull said he had been thinking about leaving politics since the last election. “When the 2022 election came around, it fleetingly crossed my mind then, but we just come through the fires, we just come through COVID,” he said. “We were dealing with a lot of individuals, and a lot of businesses that were going through, still going through, an enormous amount of hardship. And I can remember thinking it’ll be pretty weak if I didn’t at least put up my hand given what we’ve just been through as a region.” The Nationals sought nominations for pre-selection in January, with Mr Bull’s the only one received. “I nominated for pre-selection earlier this year, simply to make sure that I didn’t have any second thoughts or any regrets,” Mr Bull told the Express. “It was always my intention to not announce too late, but I just wanted to give myself a little bit more time to just make sure I was making the right decision. And over the past few months, if anything, it’s become probably a bit more clearer to me personally, that it is the right time and there are no regrets.” The absence of a sitting Nationals member seeking re-election opens the door for their Coalition partner the Liberal Party to enter a candidate for Gippsland East for the first time since 2010. The Liberals candidate at that election, current East Gippsland Shire councillor Sonia Buckley, has been touted in the Weekly Times as a possible One Nation candidate for the seat. Cr Buckley also ran for the Liberal Democrats in the seat at the 2018 election. One Nation could a wild card in Gippsland East, while Labor and the Greens will field candidates. Also, a new group, Gippsland East Matters, is searching for someone to be a “community-backed” independent candidate.

By DAVID BRAITHWAITE   MEMBER for Gippsland East Tim Bull will not contest November’s state election. Mr Bull announced last week he will be drawing an end to his 16-year political career at the election. “It has been an incredible honour, and a significant chapter of my life, to represent the people of this region over the past 16 years, including 13 years serving on the front bench as a minister and shadow minister,” Mr Bull said in a statement. “Over the coming months leading up to the election, I will continue to represent the people of East Gippsland to the very best of my ability. “My family and close friends – who have been a tremendous source of support – have known since the last election that this would likely be my final term. I have taken the time to ensure there were no second thoughts, and there are none.” The former newspaper editor was elected to parliament at the 2010 state election, ending independent Craig Ingram’s 11-year hold on the seat of Gippsland East. In the final year of the Denis Napthine-led Liberal-National government, Mr Bull held the local government and Aboriginal affairs ministries. Currently, Mr Bull holds three shadow ministries: disability, ageing, carers and volunteers; racing, and veterans’ affairs. At the 2022 election, Mr Bull was re-elected after recieving 63.3 per cent of the primary vote, and a two-candidate preferred result of 74.6 per cent, an increase of seven percentage points from the previous election. Mr Bull acknowledged the staff he has worked alongside during his time in public office. “My thanks also go to Peter Ryan, Peter Walsh and Danny O’Brien – the three National Party leaders I have served under – whose support and friendship I greatly value, along with that of my parliamentary colleagues past and present,” he said. “East Gippsland is a wonderful place to live and work. While the region faces its share of challenging times through fires, floods and storms, those moments have always highlighted the very best of our community, with people coming together to support one another. “It’s a privilege to represent such a resilient and caring region. “Politics is an arena where people will often hold very different views, and I understand not everyone agrees with all positions taken – that is simply the nature of public life. However, I have always tried to make decisions based on what I genuinely believed was in the best interests of the community. “As I step back from public life later this year, there are other interests and opportunities I look forward to pursuing – things that have been difficult to find time for while serving in parliament. What lies ahead remains very much an open book, but I will continue to enjoy living in East Gippsland and being part of this community for many years to come.” Mr Bull’s retirement leaves the National Party searching for a new candidate to retain Gippsland East. It also opens the door for the Liberal Party to field a candidate. The Coalition parties generally don’t run against each other in an electorate in which one has a sitting MP re-contesting. Labor, the Greens and One Nation will also throw their hat into the ring. The Gippsland East electorate takes in nearly all of East Gippsland Shire, as well as the northern part of the Wellington Shire, including Maffra, Heyfield, Stratford, Licola and Dargo.

By STEFAN BRADLEY   FORMER Labor candidate for the federal seat of Gippsland in last year’s election, Sonny Stephens, a farmer and veteran from Cowwarr, is making another tilt at politics, this time at the state poll this November. State government frontbencher and Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing at a May Day dinner (May 1) organised by the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council at Morwell RSL, casually revealed that Ms Stephens is running in the state election for the Gippsland South seat for Labor. When asked by the Express a fortnight ago, Ms Stephens said she is running to be a Labor candidate, but the process was ongoing and no formal endorsement for Gippsland South had been made. “I’m not in a position to discuss the matter. I’ve put in a nomination form and am partway through the process,” she said at the time. At the May Day dinner, former Latrobe City councillor Tracie Lund was formally announced as the Labor candidate for the seat of Morwell. The seat, a key swing seat at the 2022 election, is currently held by Martin Cameron of the Nationals. The Gippsland South seat is currently held by leader of the Victorian National Party, Danny O’Brien, based near Sale, who has occupied the seat since March 2015. Peter Ryan, a former leader of the Nationals, had held the seat from 1992 to 2015. The seat is very safe for the Nationals and has never been won by Labor. Denise Ryan, a Denison farmer, was the Labor candidate for Gippsland South at the 2022 election. On primary votes, Mr O’Brien earned 53.3 per cent of ballots cast, with Ms Ryan 23.4 per cent. On a two-party-preferred count, Mr O’Brien won 65.6 per cent of the vote to Ms Ryan’s 34.4 per cent result. It was a slight 1.6 per cent swing to the Nationals. When Ms Stephens ran for the federal seat of Gippsland in 2025 (which contains parts of the state Gippsland South electorate), she achieved a 1.2 per swing towards Labor. A small swing for sure, but it reversed Labor’s decline in Gippsland, and the party also performed relatively well in the neighbouring seat of Monash. As a safe Coalition seat, Nationals incumbent MP Darren Chester retained Gippsland very easily. Ms Stephens said on election night she was committed to run again for Gippsland, but with a state election just 18 months later, she may want to seize the momentum. The state election will be held on November 28.

By DAVID BRAITHWAITE   A LAST-MINUTE government amendment to a bill, which farmers fear could green-light power companies to compulsorily acquire their land for transmission lines before environmental and planning approvals were even finished, has gone through parliament. According to the Victoria Farmers Federation, the amendment to the Energy and Other Legislation Amendment (Resilience Reforms and Other Matters) Bill 2026 created a direct bypass around the state’s environmental protection laws. It allows, the VFF claimed, the government to force through transmission easements while an environment effects statement (EES) is still underway. The state government said the changes would not affect the EES process. VFF president Brett Hosking said the federation was “gutted that parliament has backed laws allowing farmers’ land to be taken for transmission lines before the environmental assessment is even finished”. “This will pour fuel on the anxiety and uncertainty already gripping communities at the heart of the energy transition,” he said. “Families now face the shadow of compulsory acquisition hanging over them while they are still trying to understand what a project means for their homes and livelihoods, as well as provide comprehensive information to the EES process. “It tells us that those in charge don’t genuinely understand the sentiment on the ground. It sends a clear and devastating message to regional Victoria that getting towers in the ground matters more than delivering a robust environmental effects statement and treating people with dignity.” Before it was adopted, Mr Hosking warned the amendment would damage perceptions of the EES process and strengthen the hand of power companies which are already treating communities with contempt. A state government spokesperson told the Express the bill would bring laws around transmission infrastructure in line with major transport projects and other states like New South Wales. The changes do not impact the EES process. Any requirements, conditions or environmental management measures determined through the EES process must be met before major works can begin. “Only Labor will build the energy infrastructure needed to keep the lights on and lower bills,” the spokesperson said. “The faster we can build new transmission lines, the faster we can connect renewable energy to the grid and the cheaper our energy prices will be. “Jess Wilson’s Liberals want to block laws that would help lower power bills for Victorian families – the very laws Nationals MP Emma Kealy called for.” The government spokesperson pointed to comments Ms Kealy, the shadow agriculture minister, made last year in parliament. “I call on Premier Allan: please, if you care about regional people, go out and do compulsory acquisition, as you would for a Melbourne project, and let our people deal with this, because the uncertainty is dividing families,” Ms Kealy said in parliament. Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien said the government was showing contempt for farmers and regional landholders. “They’re not even pretending to care about consultation, process, or a fair go now. The government is just going to try and ride roughshod over people’s lives and farms and force their projects through,” Mr O’Brien said. “We opposed this legislation in the parliament strongly, and we will repeal it if elected to government. “These amendments are a slap in the face to regional people and cannot be tolerated.” Meanwhile, the Liberals and Nationals last month pledged to introduce strict new independent audits and economic impact assessments on new energy developments if they win November’s election. Under a Liberal and Nationals government, independent agricultural and economic impact assessments will become mandatory as part of the approvals process for major renewable energy projects and transmission developments to ensure prime farmland is protected. Mr O’Brien, who is also the state Nationals leader, said protecting Victoria’s food and fibre production must be a priority. “Our farmers are the backbone of our state, and the Liberals and Nationals will stand up to protect the prime agricultural land that underpins our food security and regional economies,” he said. “Victorian families rely on our farmers to put food on their tables and clothes on their backs. We must get the land-use balance right so farmers can continue to do what they do best.” Mr O’Brien said communities had been left frustrated by the government’s failure to properly consult or consider the cumulative impact of large-scale developments across regional Victoria. “Renewable energy projects and transmission lines have highlighted the growing concern that Labor is steamrolling regional communities and putting productive farmland at risk,” he said.

By LIAM DURKIN   THE state opposition has confirmed it will oppose legislation it says allows public officials to force their way onto the land of farmers and other property owners. However, the state government maintains the bill is merely an extension of what is currently lawful. The National Electricity (Victoria) Amendment (VicGrid Stage 2 Reform) Bill 2025, currently before Parliament, will allow authorised officers to use force to enter private land for the purpose of electricity transmission works, including removing locks and opening gates without the consent of landowners. Individuals who resist face fines of up to $12,210, and $48,842 for body corporates. Offences under the legislation include hindering, obstructing or delaying authorised activity; obscuring, damaging or destroying a notice of proposed entry; failure to provide identification; and providing false identification, address, or evidence of ownership. Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, David Davis said the state government was thumbing its nose at hard-working local communities in regional areas. “The bill is a departure from accepted democratic approaches and procedures, reflecting an increasingly authoritarian stance in a Labor government now in its 11th year,” Mr Davis said. “There is massive, and building opposition, from many rural communities to the imposition of renewables and associated wires and grids on those communities without their support or consent.” Mr Davis said the government was in a mess of its own making due to the slow rollout of transmission projects such as VNI West and Western Renewables Link delayed by years. “Production of electricity from coal is winding down from 2028 and Labor is ideologically opposed to gas,” Mr Davis said. “For these reasons, the Allan Labor government has panicked and will seek to acquire outrageous new powers to force through its so-called transition to renewables.” Leader of The Nationals and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, said the state government’s approach was to bully and attack regional communities, rather than work with them. “This bill highlights Labor is steamrolling farmers and other landholders in its blind rush to renewables,” Mr O’Brien said. “This is an outrageous assault on farming families from a desperate government that is more interested in out-greening the Greens than respecting regional Victorians. “A government that respects rural Victorians would not be introducing legislation like this, on top of taking away their right to appeal against these projects at VCAT. “The Liberals and Nationals will hand back these rights to rural people, as well as reintroducing a two kilometre buffer zone between wind turbines and homes.” The state government however pointed out compulsory land access provisions already exist under the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (EIA). According to the state government, the proposed bill will ensure this existing power can be effectively enforced, and created a new role for authorised officers. “Authorised officers will always work with landowners before accessing land,” a state government spokesperson said. “This legislation will prevent inappropriate behaviour from private transmission companies and brings Victoria in line with other jurisdictions and the delivery of other vital major infrastructure such as transport and telecommunications.” Energy companies building new energy infrastructure will fund landowner payments and contribute to the Renewable Energy Zone Community Energy Fund, which will support regionally significant projects and initiatives that improve energy supply, efficiency, and affordability. “We created VicGrid to lead community consultation on the development of our Renewable Energy Zones and new transmission infrastructure to protect energy security as well as food and water security and ensure communities are consulted early in the planning process,” the government said. “We’ve heard from regional communities that the benefits of the energy transition need to be shared fairly, especially with those communities hosting new infrastructure – that’s why we are developing new community benefit funds and payments to landholders, significantly impacted neighbours and Traditional Owners.” Local host communities will identify and help design projects that will best benefit them. The funds will be formalised through legislation later this year before being given the green light. These funds are in addition to any direct developer benefit payments. They are expected to commence after Renewable Energy Zones have been declared following publishing of the first Victorian Transmission Plan later this year. Landholders hosting new electricity transmission infrastructure will receive payments of $8000 per kilometre of typical easement area per year for 25 years, indexed to inflation. This payment is in addition to the existing compensation arrangements for hosting transmission.

By STEFAN BRADLEY   GIPPSLAND health services will work together more closely under a new network, with the intention of improving care for locals and providing more opportunities for them to receive care close to home. Statewide, on July 1, the 12 Local Health Service Networks officially commenced. Each health service largely operates as usual, retaining its chief executive, board and identity. The state government said the move would support improved cooperation between local services, ensure doctors and specialists are available to care for patients closer to where they live, deliver clearer pathways in and out of hospital, and support better waitlist management across a region. The Gippsland Local Health Network brings Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) together with Central Gippsland Health (CGH), Yarram and District Health Service (YDHS), Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, Omeo District Health, Orbost Regional Health, South Gippsland Hospital and West Gippsland Healthcare Group Notably, Bass Coast Health (Wonthaggi) and Gippsland Southern Health Service (Leongatha and Korumburra) are part of the metropolitan Bayside Local Health Network. The state opposition previously labelled the plans “amalgamation by stealth”, but the government has disputed this. Forced amalgamation of the state’s health services was one of the 27 recommendations proposed by the expert advisory committee, as part of the government’s Health Services Plan, but this was rejected by the government. All other 26 recommendations were accepted in full or in principle. The state government said each network would identify and plan improvements to address the health needs of their local communities within a geographical region. “Victoria’s health system is one of the best in the world, and these reforms will keep us on track to deliver even better patient care through a reformed health system that is better integrated and connected, at the same time protecting the local services we know Victorians trust and rely on,” Health Minister Marry-Anne Thomas said. There are six networks in regional areas and six in metropolitan Melbourne. Earlier this year, Latrobe Regional Health Chief Executive, Don McRae moved to reassure health services would not be compromised. “It’s about making sure we are all on the same page, pulling in the same direction working for people in our community,” Mr McRae previously told the Express. “The (Gippsland) network will be tasked by the government to take on a certain role within the region and that will be to facilitate access and flow across the region and apply some quality improvement initiatives and opportunities, and to develop a workforce plan for the region to make sure we are bringing the right people into the region to be able to provide care for our communities, and to look at opportunities to share services.” The network groupings were determined following extensive consultation with health services, with consideration given to population growth, community need, clinical capability and distance between services. State Nationals leader and Member for Gippsland, South Danny O’Brien previously said Gippslanders should be very concerned about the impact the new health networks will have on local services. “We have been warning for some time that Labor wanted to merge Victoria’s health services into a handful of organisations. We’ve seen it today now with a new Gippsland network combining eight different services into one network,” he said at the time the new networks were announced. “While we are always keen to see efficiencies and sharing of resources across our health services, I am very concerned that this will actually lead to diminished local decision making in our rural and regional hospitals and ultimately a reduction in services.” Mr O’Brien said Gippsland health services would be overshadowed by larger hospitals. “What guarantees will the government provide that this won’t lead to services and funding being sucked back into the city?” he said. “In simple geographic terms how Leongatha and Korumburra fit in with ‘Bayside’ defies logic. “I am very concerned that the government is proceeding with its merger plan by stealth, which will see local services diminished and local control taken away from our hospitals.”

By STEFAN BRADLEY   AN operating surplus, with a mountain of debt – it’s a challenging story for the state government’s 2025/26 State Budget. While Treasurer Jaclyn Symes for her first budget was keen to emphasise the state’s first surplus in a decade, the size of Victoria’s debt incurred and the interest that has to be paid has proven to be a massive challenge for the state government. At the 2025/26 State Budget lock-up in Melbourne – attended by the Latrobe Valley Express and other media organisations – Ms Symes said there was “no new taxes” revealed in the budget. And that’s because a new tax was previously announced, which was of course the emergency services levy, which has been known about for months, and recently passed in state Parliament. Protests against this new levy took place at state Parliament and a bit closer to home in Morwell. The tax is possibly the most controversial measure in a state budget for Gippslanders since the closure of the timber industry was moved forward. There’s also an increase to the congestion levy imposed on parking in parts of inner Melbourne to encourage public transport use. Nearly every major thing in this budget was previously announced. The two previous state budgets under Ms Symes’ predecessor, Tim Pallas attempted to rein in spending with cuts and taxes; this one appears to have partly moved away from that, which may be because an election is next year and the government is down in the polls. “I want my first budget to give people hope,” Ms Symes said, which is a sharp contrast from the doom and gloom of the last two budgets. The slogan they chose is ‘Focused On What Matters Most’, and it’s possible the state has taken cues from federal Labor’s successful election campaign that culminated in a landslide victory on May 3. What the state government is focusing on is similar issues of cost-of-living relief, healthcare and education. “We want young Victorians to have everything they need to succeed. It’s why this Budget invests more than $44 million to upgrade schools across the Eastern Victorian Region, including more than $500,000 for upgrades at Araluen Primary School in Sale,” Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh said in a media release. Mr McIntosh was keen to talk about public transport, a key issue for those in the Latrobe Valley. “In Gippsland, this budget will invest $42.8 million to deliver a regular 40-minute interpeak service across the day, between Traralgon and Southern Cross – realising the benefits of the Gippsland Line Upgrade,” he said. “But for parents in the region, every dollar counts. It’s why we’re making public transport free for Victorians under 18, delivering savings of up to $755 a year – per child. ” The scheme begins January 1, 2026. “Costs can also add up for seniors. It’s why with this budget; we’re also making statewide public transport free for Victorians aged 60 and over on weekends,” Mr McIntosh said. “From January 1, 2026, this change will help Victorians with a Seniors Card in eastern Victoria visit the grandkids or experience even more of our state – without the extra expense.” The Community Pharmacy Pilot has become a permanent investment; $18 million has been budged for pharmacists to treat Victorians without needing to see a GP. Leader of the state Nationals and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, said the budget ignored the cost-of-living crisis and inflicted further pain on regional Victorians. “Labor is whacking us with a great big new emergency services tax that the budget now shows will cost us all an extra $3 billion in coming years,” Mr O’Brien said. “The Nationals and Liberals will scrap this tax if elected next year to ease the burden on regional Victorians. “Debt gets worse and we will be paying $28.9 million per day in interest – money that could be going to boosting regional hospitals, investing in schools and fixing our roads. “This budget yet again shows that Labor can’t manage money and regional Victorians are paying the price.”

By STEFAN BRADLEY   IN response to community outcry, the state government has committed to not make changes to the Yarram/Leongatha to Southern Cross V/Line coach service that would have instead seen the bus terminate at East Pakenham station. The Koo Wee Rup Blackfish newsletter reported in its March issue the coach service, which begins either at Yarram or Leongatha and finishes at Southern Cross station in Melbourne, would instead run to East Pakenham Station after the Koo Wee Rup stop, and passengers would need to transfer to a train, under this change. “South Gippsland is poorly serviced by public transport. This seems to be taking that poor service to another level,” the publication said. The Koo Wee Rup Blackfish noted driving to the train station, transferring and waiting for the train would add additional time to the trip to Southern Cross, and make the Yarram/Leongatha coach “less viable as a commuter service”. “There are people who regularly commute in and out on the bus, some from much further out in South Gippsland,” they said. “By diverting to East Pakenham, we lose the easy airport transfer. Many locals stow their suitcases under the bus and walk them over to the SkyBus when they arrive at Southern Cross. Taking your luggage on a commuter train isn’t nearly as stress-free.” A Change.org petition set up on March 2 opposing the change was signed by more than 2000 people within days. The Yarram/Leongatha coach begins at Yarram, and stops at Alberton, Welshpool, Toora, Foster and so on. The other major stops include Leongatha, Korumburra, Koo Wee Rup, Cranbourne, Dandenong, Caulfield, and ending at either Southern Cross or Flinders Street Station. The 6.26am coach from Yarram on weekdays arrives at Southern Cross at around 10.21am, making the entire bus trip around four hours. After Koo Wee Rup, the coach skips Tooradin, Five Ways, Cranbourne, Dandenong and Caulfield, instead going straight to Southern Cross. If you wanted to go to those other stops, another coach departs at the same 6.26am time but requires commuters to change to another coach at Koo Wee Rup, and then switch to a metropolitan train at Dandenong, and it arrives at Southern Cross at 11.02am, adding about 40 minutes extra to the trip. The same two coaches run again from Yarram at 11.08am and 3.08pm on weekdays. There are five other times during the day you can catch the line, but they begin at Leongatha only. Similar options exist in the opposite direction from Southern Cross to Leongatha/Yarram, but some of the journeys begin on trains and depart at different times to the coaches. There are fewer services on Saturdays and Sundays, but they are the same on both days. The now-abandoned change would have seen the coach sometime after Koo Wee Rup terminate at East Pakenham and then passengers would switch to a train to go to Southern Cross or elsewhere. Presumably there would also be more train and bus transfers for those travelling from Southern Cross to Leongatha/Yarram. State Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien said on March 3 he spoke to the Public Transport Minister’s office, which confirmed no final decision had been made. “I have made clear to the minister’s office that I would fight any such proposal – and that likely it would be very poorly received by most travellers from South Gippsland (and Bass Coast for that matter),” Mr O’Brien said. Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale commented on the report and the “heaps of emails” she received about the matter. Ms Crugnale said noted community consultation on the matter would start in June and encouraged those in the public to have their say on the matter. Last year in the state budget, the government announced $30 million for improved bus and ferry services, including more frequent bus services for Leongatha and Yarram. “Any changes to any timetables are expected to be made in early 2026,” Ms Crugnale said. Ms Crugnale also acknowledged public transport options in the area were “not great”, and “current service timetabling does fail to provide good connections between routes and enough frequency, significantly impacting smaller towns and communities accessing larger centres”. “With the V/Line currently (sic) timetables, what I have heard many times over is that regional students can’t get to and from their tertiary institutions in a timely manner, families have to drive to attend a footy match in the city, and the added cost or hindrance altogether for people wanting to go to a concert or major event on any given night because they need to factor in an overnight stay,” she said. The state seat of Bass covers from the south-east Melbourne suburb of Clyde through to Inverloch and Phillip Island. The next day, on March 4, the state government ruled out any plans to terminate the Yarram/Leongatha coaches at East Pakenham. Regional spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), Paul Westcott said they received a number of “annoyed correspondence” about the dumped proposal when it came up. “The issue is connections, to and from the train stations. There’s uncertainty about continuation and going to the next service. It can be a hassle,” Mr Westcott said. “We have complaints about the lack of frequency of the Yarram/Leongatha line. The coach is slow, goes a long way and gets stuck in peak hour traffic in Melbourne, but at least you’re on the bus. “It does seem like a bus transfer to Pakenham or Dandenong is off the table because of the reaction to this, so they’ll have to go back to the drawing board.” Based on what he’d heard from the community, Mr Westcott said the best thing to do in this instance may be to simply increase the number of services and keep the route the same. “Make transfers as easy as possible, and the best way to have that is frequency of services,” he said. Setting up new services on the Gippsland Line has proven challenging for a whole host of reasons, but adding more coaches to the Yarram/Leongatha line should be easier. “There is nothing (stopping them). It’s just a question of buses and drivers,” Mr Westcott said. Editor of the Yarram-based newspaper The Bridge, Deb Lucas told the Express that many locals in the area used the Yarram/Leongatha coach, including the elderly, students and those without cars. “People who contacted me were quite upset (about the now-canned change). Uni students use it to go to Southern Cross, instead of going to the train station. Some use it to access medical services at Foster, or Leongatha,” Ms Lucas said. “It’s fairly long and arduous. Some are better off going to Traralgon first (via bus). But for the elderly it’s very helpful.”

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