The Monaro Highway, a critical freight route in and out of East Gippsland, is the latest in the local roads network requiring urgent attention with local Nationals MP, Tim Bull, saying “just like many others, it is falling to bits”.

This comes on the back of Roads and Road Safety Minister, Ben Carroll, spruiking in Parliament last week about the success of the State’s road maintenance program.

“Mr Carroll was on very good terms with himself as he stood and attempted to tell the Parliament, what a good job he was doing, saying the Andrews Government was delivering ‘smoother and safer journeys for motorists’.

This brought comments from several country MP’s of ‘Where Ben, in Melbourne?’

Mr Bull said the Monaro Highway was the latest in a long list of roads that needed attention, not just in East Gippsland, but across rural Victoria.

“The trouble is, when we do get some works being done, they are regularly failing within months of installation, as the tenders go out for lower quality works than what is required.

“I actually think the Minister is believing what his advisers are telling him, so I will be inviting him up for an Easter holiday in East Gippsland and he can take a look for himself.

“I have had long time freight drivers telling me the roads are the worst they have seen them, and motorists are asking ‘If a car needs to be roadworthy, shouldn’t the road be car worthy?’

“One of the first things this Government did in coming to office was cut roads funding when it axed the Country Roads and Bridges Program which the Liberals and Nationals will reinstate.

“I am also delighted that in last week’s re-shuffle the Nationals picked up the roads portfolio. My colleague Steph Ryan, who now has that portfolio, has a real understanding of the investment needed in our country roads network.”

Caption: Examples of the deteriorating road surface on the Monaro Highway, captured by local Garry Brownlie.

Monday, 28 February 2022

Following reports of brumby carcasses being found in the East Gippsland bush, local Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has asked the Environment Minister to come clean on the details of the program.

Speaking in State Parliament, Mr Bull said there were local companies that relied on brumby sightseeing and a wider interest in the community. He called on the Minister to advise:

* How many brumbies have been culled in this term of government as of February 1, 2022 and

* Has the program concluded, or will it continue over the course of this year?

“Minister D’Ambrosio has advised pre-Christmas she did not wish to reveal the location of brumby culling due to the need to protect those undertaking the work.

“So, I am not asking for that, I am asking for general information like how many have been culled, has the program concluded, or is it continuing?

“These are all things the Minister should be able to answer, and it is happening in our area, so we have right to know and not be treated like mushrooms.”

Mr Bull said he had received reports from locals who have come across brumby carcasses including foals alongside mares and mares in foal.

“In some cases, it is remote country which would indicate they were aerially shot, and we know that does often not result in instant death.

“I am on the record many times as saying I do not support this, but rather a program of capture and rehoming combined with more work done into fertility controls we see in the United States to keep mustang numbers in balance.

“My great concern is this government is embarking on an eradication campaign and is doing this without having the courtesy of informing the communities that have an affinity with the brumbies.”

Photo credit: Felicity Clay Photography

Monday, February 14, 2021

Last week in Parliament I spoke on the Livestock Management Amendment (Animal Activism) Bill – Legislation from a National Party initiated Inquiry to introduce tougher penalties for illegal animal activist farm invaders.
Not surprisingly, the Greens opposed this legislation, but first some background.
In January 2019, Aussie Farms created a website and Facebook page that unfairly targeted farmers across Australia – it included the publication of a map of farm locations and the nature of their farming operations - presented as if they were doing something illegal.
This resource was subsequently used by animal activists to target primary producers and we saw farms invaded without consent or pre-warning. Animals were stolen, farmers and their wives and children called murderers and killers and graffiti was painted - disgraceful behaviour.
It was later revealed than one of these activists, who was identified and charged, received a $1 fine for breaking biosecurity laws and stealing livestock.
Given this and the aggressive nature of the invasions, a parliamentary inquiry was set up to look into the impact of animal activism on Victorian agriculture. My Nationals Upper House colleague was at the forefront of this with unanimous support from our party room.
Jumping forward, the legislation we saw in Parliament this week to increase punishments for these illegal farm invaders, including increased mandatory fines for biosecurity breaches and trespassing, was a result of this inquiry.
It contained what I feel were very reasonable protections for our law-abiding farmers from the aggressive property invasions we have seen.
Well, not according to the Greens. Here are some excerpts from the speech made by Greens Member for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell:
It is a bill that is supposedly about biosecurity, but when you actually look at the detail, really using that term biosecurity is just a smokescreen for new laws to crack down on animal activists who are trying to put a spotlight on the horrible way that we often do treat the animals that we kill and eat.
This new law means that the public will not know if a biosecurity sign has been put up outside a farm because there is a very real and important biosecurity risk for entering that property…or whether the sign has just been put up so that animal activists can be punished for entering that property.
It is like if every single beach in the country had a warning sign about crocodiles, you would not know which ones actually had crocodiles and which ones did not have crocodiles, and you would not know which ones were actually the very, very dangerous beaches and which ones were not the very dangerous beaches. I think it is a similar concept.
I am proud to support activists in the face of governments bragging about introducing some of the heaviest fines in the country.
Really? Stopping abusive activists from invading peoples’ home properties, is the same as warning people they are going to be swimming with crocodiles?
These changes are welcome and I hope will stop these activists being a law unto themselves – waltzing onto farms and causing significant trauma and distress to their owners.
In my speech, I called out the hypocrisy of the Animal Justice Party MP, Andy Meddick, who I have no doubt will oppose the Bill in the Upper House in a few weeks.
In the media, Mr Meddick has defended these farm invaders as whistle blowers. His commentary reflected that the invasions we saw were for worthy cause.
However, fast forward to late last year when Mr Mednick’s own home was targeted by activists over his support of the Pandemic State of Emergency extension. He said:
“People disagree in a vibrant democracy. But you don’t have the right to come to someone’s house and make their family feel physically in danger.”
I agree with this comment of Mr Meddick. People don’t have the right to come to someone’s home and make them feel in danger. We are in unison on that.
But my point is Mr Meddick cannot run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds. The farms that are being targeted as also the farmers’ homes and these activists had these farming families feeling in danger – the same feeling Mr Meddick experienced.
Invading a home seemed to be OK when it was a cause he supported, but not when it impacted him and his family.
I look forward to the Bill passing the Upper House in the coming weeks and becoming law.

Monday, February 14, 2021

The Nationals Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull said 2022 will hopefully see the return of a full duck season in Victoria.
Victoria has not seen a full duck season since 2018 with the season shortened to 64 days in 2019, 38 days in 2020 and just 20 days in 2021.
Mr Bull said an appropriately regulated and conducted duck season represents a sustainable activity that delivers tremendous economic benefit to regions like East Gippsland.
“Duck shooting is an immensely popular recreational activity in Gippsland that sees shooters inject enormous amounts of revenue into our economy,” Mr Bull said.
“It’s an activity that brings families and friends together out in nature with the added economic benefits of supporting our local business and tourism sectors.
“Over the past four years we have seen the State Labor Government chase inner-city green votes at the expense of those who enjoy a legal recreational activity and the regions that benefit from it.
“Those who participate in duck season understand better than anyone the need to ensure waterfowl numbers and habitats are preserved so that duck season can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. Anyone can see the valuable work organisations like Field and Game Australia do to preserve and protect our wetlands in East Gippsland.

Photo credit: Visit Victoria

Friday, February 18, 2022

East Gippsland has received $28 million in the Black Summer Bushfire Grants announced today with many key projects funded, including a $9.9 million upgrade to the Bairnsdale Aerodrome.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said among other things, this will enable larger planes to land to assist with emergency services in times of need, promote tourism and open the options for an air service to the region.

“Originally, we were told we were to receive $4.5 million under the funding model, but having objected to this, along with my Federal colleague Darren Chester, we are delighted to get close to $29 million – which we should as the most impacted region in Victoria, and I thank Darren for his advocacy.

“Of course, not every application has been funded and we will work with those who missed out, overall this is an incredible result for the region,” he said.

Funded projects:

• Bairnsdale Airport Runway Upgrade $9,962,715
• Construction of the Gippsland Agricultural Recovery and Resilience Centre $984,650
• Mallacoota Bowling Club Community Hub $85,000
• Mallacoota Emergency Services Facility $2,570,000
• Omeo Golf Club Upgrade Project $128,780
• Mallacoota Mudbrick Pavilion Upgrade $493,628
• Twin Rivers Community Hub / Men's Shed Association Building Project $150,000
• Raymond Island Community Hall Extension $146,800
• Mallacoota & District Tool Library Project $124,899
• Cann River- Mick Baum Park Skate Park Redevelopment $561,000
• Swifts Creek Community Hall Upgrade $878,040
• East Gippsland Timber Milling Project $520,560
• Operation Phoenix - The rebuild of the Mallacoota Gun Club - Stage 2 $276,277
• Mount Taylor Mountain Bike Park Skills Park and Facilities Improvements $360,030
• Omeo Recreation Reserve Netball & Tennis Court Upgrade $659,000
• Bemm River Footpath Development $1,027,253
• Orbost Tennis Club/Community Hub $324,266
• Swifts Creek Bush Nurse Centre Recovery $158,126
• Emergency Telecommunications Installation in Remote Tamboon $209,195
• Creating a vibrant community hub - upgrading Lake Tyers Beach Hall. $400,000
• Club Terrace Community Facility Project $751,250
• Miva Miva accessible cottages for the frail impacted by the bushfires $2,150,000
• The Buchan Caves Hotel Emergency Generator $73,888
• Emergency Telecommunications Installation in Remote Bundara Valley $202,056

Funded programs:

• East Gippsland Hub for Learners $420,500
• Outward Bound Snowy River Base Camp and ‘Recalibrate’ Program Development $443,375
• Internally Displaced People: 2019-20 Bushfires, an iterative analysis $671,872
• Claim the Past - Recover the Future $1,051,951
• Embedding resilience in community fire response $299,524
• East Gippsland Community Bus Project $89,236
• After the fires: Supporting communities to recover and build resilience $570,864
• Connection breeds resilience - farmers breakfast and workshops $32,000
• Pottery/Sculpture Open Art Studio Space $43,091
• Safe, Healthy and Resilient Communities – Emergency Preparedness $448,912
• Development of a Community Bushfire Defence and Response Facility $91,283
• Community-led recovery & resilience through music in Far East Gippsland $456,480
• Music Changes Lives for the Better: Building Community Sense of Belonging $318,546

Caption: State Nationals MP is delighted with the $9.9m upgrade to the Bairnsdale Aerodrome and the funding of a host of other projects and programs.

Monday, February 14, 2022

State-owned schools, health services and organisations have been directed to close accounts with smaller regional banks and transfer funds to Commonwealth, Westpac or NAB banks.

The new Victorian Government purchasing contract requires large state-funded organisations to forgo accounts with smaller banking institutions in favour of one of the major players in the banking sector.

East Gippsland Nationals State MP, Tim Bull says this move is reeks of an Andrews Government’s city-centric centralisation and urges the State to reverse this decision that moves local money out of town.

“Many state-owned organisations have large accounts with their local community bank, which is crucial to supporting employment, community sporting groups and also offer great banking services to East Gippslanders,” Mr Bull said.

“This mandate comes at the expense of our local banks that have put so much back into our local communities.

“The Andrews Government has already closed many big bank branches in our smaller rural and regional townships, making banking services harder to access for customers in East Gippsland.

“If the Andrews Government had any clue about how regional and rural communities operate, Andrews would see the value these smaller financial institutions offer to regional Victorians.

“Local banking is essential for our regional communities; it provides our residents with vital services and supports local jobs,” Mr Bull said.

Mr Bull encourages local residents across East Gippsland to have their say by contacting the Federal Government’s Regional Banking Taskforce which assesses the impact of bank closures in regional communities at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or alternatively by visiting: www.treasury.gov.au/review/regional-banking-taskforce.