WATER security, drought support, banking, childcare and policing in rural areas were some of the issues raised when the Premier and two of his senior ministers visited Wycheproof.
Premier Daniel Andrews, Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford and Water Minister Lisa Neville, along with local federal MP Andrew Broad, attended a community barbecue hosted by the Victorian Farmers’ Federation (VFF) at the Wycheproof Golf Club on Wednesday.
Mr Andrews announced a $5 million commitment to build a Doppler weather radar station in the Wimmera, resolving a longstanding weather information black-spot in the region, as well as $40 million in funding to connect the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline to the rest of the state grid.
His visit fulfilled a promise Mr Andrews made to revisit the region when he announced the first stage of a $27 million drought funding package in Birchip last November.
“We were always going to come back, we hoped we’d come back in slightly better circumstances to those you confront today,” he said on Wednesday night.
“I thought it was important then, and it’s important now, to be back here again to hear firsthand and get an update on the difficulties and the challenges that this district is facing, and to make some further announcements … about ways we can support you and provide you and the infrastructure you need.”
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (April 8).
