The role of state Treasurer is a busy one . . . preparing and delivering the annual budget, collecting revenue and promoting investment and economic growth across Victoria. Tim Pallas, who also happens to be the MP for Werribee, took some time out of his busy schedule to chat to Adem Saban and Charlene Macaulay about local issues and achievements.
This week marks one year since Labor came into government. What do you think your biggest achievements have been locally?
Holding true to our values. One of the things we said before the last election was the things we say we’re going to do, we will do – and we’ll do them in the time we commit to doing them.
Of course, the $85 million committed for the Werribee Mercy Hospital is a big achievement. The thing I love about this is that it wasn’t an election commitment. It was just something that was provided because the need was evident.
On the education side, we finally got to finish the process of the Werribee Secondary College construction and we’ve committed $7 million to completing the project.
Wyndham council is keen to see the level crossings at Cottrell Street and Cherry Street removed. When can the community expect construction to start on these projects?
I know there’s a lot of community concern about this and I want to be very clear: we gave a commitment that our level crossing agenda would be completed in our first two terms. I don’t anticipate that these two level crossings will be completed in our first term. That’s not to say I’m selling my community short, it’s just that if I step back in respect of these issues, I hope to be able to embellish my case in other capital works that are imminent, important and necessary.
I know they will occur but there are other things this community needs, like the arterial road network.
Many locals have petitioned for the state government to build an Indian Cultural Precinct in either Point Cook or East Werribee. When will a decision be made and will it be in either of these towns?
There are compelling reasons why you have to be proud of the Indian community. Many Indian members of the community have decided to call this area home and we’re lucky for that. I’ve spoken to the multicultural affairs minister and put in why I think Wyndham is such a great location.
The Australian Education City Consortium has been named as the preferred bidder for the East Werribee Precinct. What, in your opinion, will this mean for the region?
We have a very exciting proposal that we’re currently working through. I don’t want to over-promise on this project until we see how it all exactly stacks up. But if it does live up to its promise, it’s a very exciting proposal. Its potential for job creation is great. It will be of great benefit to the whole state, but the principal beneficiary is this community.
The region is experiencing rapid growth. How is the state government going to deal with the demand for better infrastructure with more schools, better roads, and public transport?
A lot of great things are happening in public transport. Firstly, the start of the Regional Rail Link (RRL). We’re also overhauling bus timetables with additional services to be put in place. The increase in punctuality on our rail lines has been impressive, to no small extent assisted by RRL’s introduction. We’re going to have new train timetables next year, with increased metro services.
We gave a commitment at the last election, and that will be honoured, that $1 billion will be allocated over eight years to the repair and upgrade of roads in Melbourne’s outer suburbs and interface communities.
We have invested a significant amount into local schools, like the Werribee Secondary College rebuild and additional funding in the budget for a number of local schools.
Policing figures from the Police Association reveal there are 45 first response officers per 100,000 people in Wyndham. The state average is 102 police for every 100,000 residents. What will the state government do to address this?
In our first year of government, there are already an extra 10 police on the beat in Wyndham. There are also an extra 400 custody officers (statewide). Money was put in the budget to relieve police from having to relocate prisoners between prison cells, freeing up police to do sharp-edge police duties.
There’s no doubt that, on occasions, police resources are stretched. When we were last in government, we opened the Wyndham North police station, which took a lot of the load off.
Unemployment in the electorate is higher than a lot of others. The state average is 5.6 per cent but the town of Werribee is at 11.4 per cent, Hoppers Crossing 8.7, Wyndham Vale 8.3. In the lead-up to last year’s state election the government campaigned hard around the creation of jobs. What is being done locally?
Our unemployment rate was 6.8 per cent for the state when we came into government, now it’s at 5.6 per cent. I don’t think you could imagine a more dramatic turnaround in the state’s economic circumstances. It’s largely because the government got to work straight away. That’s one thing I’m thrilled about being in government. It doesn’t matter what the level of unemployment is, but it is always unacceptable and we have to bring it down. We need to work co-operatively with businesses.
Farmers from Werribee South are reaching out to the state government for water security to secure their futures in the region. What’s the solution?
Well I certainly take the view that our community would be much worse off if we didn’t have the farmers in Werribee South, and access to reasonably cheap and locally grown produce is critically important. I understand the capacity of the growers to get access to water is pretty low, only 10 per cent of their rights.
I’ve spoken to the water minister about the issue and she’s very conscious of it. She’s working with Southern Rural Water and the local irrigators to find a solution. My clear view is I want to keep them here – and that is recognising and supporting that farmers are in difficult times at the moment.
