The State Government must act now to ensure residents of northern Victoria have access to desperately needed fuel, The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad has told Parliament.
Ms Broad said regional Victorians were paying more for fuel than people in the city, and in many areas public transport was simply not an option.
“Regional areas need fuel for transport to look after livestock, keep food on our tables and transport stock to supermarket shelves,” Ms Broad said.
“As the federal government releases more emergency reserves, what stance is the state government taking to ensure that Victoria gets our fair share of fuel?
“What is the Premier doing to address local distribution issues and ensure that regional areas like Robinvale and Wedderburn can access fuel?”
Ms Broad said she was extremely disappointed with the government’s response on the issue, after Premier Jacinta Allan downplayed the situation in Parliament.
“The Premier accused the National Party of making alarmist claims when the facts are that Robinvale ran out of fuel.
“The New South Wales government is taking action to deliver fuel where it is most needed and to prioritise the vital agriculture and freight industries.
“The Victorian Farmers Federation is right to encourage our city cousins to swap their cars for public transport to save fuel and ensure that our farmers can keep planting, harvesting and producing food.”
Ms Broad said the consequences of government inaction on the fuel issue would be severe for regional communities and could have a disastrous flow-on effect for deliveries of food and other essential items.
“I urge the government to take this seriously and act now,” Ms Broad said.
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764
