The State Government has back-flipped on its plans to install centre-of-the-road barriers on Paynesville Road, a decision welcomed by Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull.

 

“My thanks to all those who signed the petition asking for more common sense in these decisions and better public consultation, rather than the Government telling us it is happening and advising us it will be good for us.”

 

Mr Bull said a project update, received last week, stated the decision to remove the centre barriers from its plans.

 

“Unfortunately this update also advised the overtaking lanes would not be built either. The reason provided was that there was an existing water main that would have required relocation in order to construct the overtaking lane,” he said.

 

“It astounds me that this was not known prior to this stage of the project and it shows a clear lack of sensible planning and consultation. It is very similar to the incident last year when the roadside barrier was placed in the middle of the cyclist lane.

 

“From the early days of this project, the level of consultation with the community has been exceptionally poor and I have voiced this with the Roads Minister on multiple occasions.

 

“The majority in the community clearly did not want centre of the road barriers and this is a win for all those who raised the matter with me,” he said.

 

Mr Bull said he now hoped common sense would prevail on the Princes Highway where roadside barriers are being installed adjacent to open flat grazing land, where even if a car was left the road, there was nothing to hit but open grassland, rather than be corralled back into traffic lane.

 

Caption: Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has welcomed the State Government’s decision to remove the installation of centre-of-the-road barriers on Paynesville Road from its plans.

 

 

Patties Foods Bairnsdale is to become the world’s largest savoury pie bakery.

 

State Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said today’s announcement of a $20 million expansion of the local factory was fantastic news for the region.

 

“This is big news for East Gippsland in that not only will more savoury products be produced locally, but the company will be employing more staff to service increased demand and this is on the back of staff increases over the past six months,” Mr Bull said.

 

The expansion will be made possible by the acquisition of a Simplot land, building and equipment site in Pakenham, to which Patties’ fruit production line will relocate.

 

“Patties has confirmed employee operations will not be impacted by the Pakenham site acquisition. Instead, it will allow for the creation of more jobs locally,” Mr Bull said.

 

Patties Foods Chief Executive Officer, Paul Hitchcock, said: “As we grow, Patties Foods’ roots are firmly planted in the Bairnsdale community.”

 

“We are proud of hard work of Patties Foods employees, and the new state-of-the-art pie line will greatly allow the Bairnsdale bakery to grow,” Mr Hitchcock said.

 

Patties Foods has also secured a multi-year contract to manufacture Leggo’s pasta products for Simplot Australia. The Simplot contract is to be produced at the Pakenham site.

 

The company started as a small cake shop in Lakes Entrance more than 50 years ago and currently employs around 570 people and produces more than 300 different sweet and savoury products.

 

“At a time where drought was forcing hardship on all in the local economy, the Patties expansion as particularly good news. This company has to be our region’s greatest business success story.”

 

Mr Bull said it was also pleasing to note new businesses opening locally in the past few weeks, including both 40 Winks Bairnsdale and Aroma Coffee House and Eatery at Eastwood, two new enterprises he visited this week.

 

“A lot of people often want to focus on when shops become empty, but the reality is our registered businesses are growing in this area and that growth has been steady for several years. The sector is never without its challenges, but sometimes we tend to focus on the negatives and not the positives and I congratulate these two businesses on opening their doors.”

 

Premier Daniel Andrews has been asked to provide immediate council rate relief for eastern Victorian farmers.

 

In a letter sent last week, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, suggested to the Premier that council rate subsidies would provide some immediate financial relief and was an obvious next step.

 

He told the Premier that at a series of on-farm forums he convened late last year, while many had different requests (ranging from subsides for freight, water-carting, super for when it rains and power for additional pump use), almost all unanimously agreed that the one subsidy that would assist all and could be equitably provided, was council rate relief.

 

It was on this basis the Coalition committed to rate relief pre-election.
 
“The view was, savings in rates could be invested into each farmer's area of need, or if they had no specific need (other than financial hardship) it would simply provide some badly needed financial relief in this difficult period,” Mr Bull said.

 

Mr Bull, who sent a separate but similar request to Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes, also urged Premier Andrews to visit the area and meet with impacted farmers to get a first-hand understanding of the devastation caused by dry conditions.

 

“Last year the previous Agriculture Minister, Jaala Pulford, when pushed on the issue pre-election, pointed out that rates were not due until February and a decision on them would need to be made ‘in the New Year’.

 

“Well, that time has now arrived,” Mr Bull said.
 
“The situation since the election has worsened considerably in many areas and with rates due imminently, farmers and their families need to know rate relief will be provided.”
 
“Our farmers need assistance with fixed recurrent costs and the overwhelming feedback and my strong view is that council rates is the fairest form of relief.

 

“They are due imminently, it would provide some immediate financial relief and hopefully free up some capital for various on farm needs,” Mr Bull said.

 

Caption: Gippsland East Nationals MP Tim Bull, pictured speaking with Shadow Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh and farmers at a forum he hosted last year, has written to Premier Daniel Andrews and new Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes, urging them to implement a rates subsidy for farmers.