Country Greens Victoria Network

A forum held at Wonthaggi on Saturday 22nd May heard some shocking revelations about Victoria's desalination plant.

Secrecy surrounding the contracts between the government and the desalination consortium led Kenneth Davidson, a senior journalist at the Age, to question the Victorian Auditor General. Mr Davidson found evidence of further secret contracts and indications of the real cost of the plant. “$900 million a year will eventually come from the pockets of Victorians, to pay for the desalination plant and its water”.

He considers this amount to be unaffordable and could send the state broke within five to ten years.

The Greens have announced Ballarat resident and IT professional Leon Dwyer for the state seat of Ballarat West.

"Liberal and Labor are obsessed with watching the polls. The Greens stand out because we're driven by common sense policy, not the polls.”

“The community wants positive change and action on transport, energy, a green economy, human rights and social justice. This is what gets me excited about running as the Greens candidate for Ballarat West."

In another display of policy back-flipping, the Brumby government has reneged on its former commitment to suspended sentences. The about-face comes as the number of prisoners in Victoria is increasing and many prisons are reaching overcapacity.

"This is an unwelcome and unnecessary development," Greens justice spokesperson, Sue Pennicuik MLC, said. "Our courts need as many sentencing options as possible, and the courts are best placed to judge where a suspended sentence is appropriate in the circumstances and particularly where an offender may have already served a significant period in custody.

Greens MLC Colleen Hartland has described Mobil's response to last night's incident at the Altona refinery as "not even trying".

"I started getting calls from community members soon after 9pm last night.  They could see the flaring for miles around, and they could see the cloud of gas or smoke.  But they couldn't find out what was going on."

Greens MLC Colleen Hartland has called for immediate, strong government action following the release of a community-funded study reporting a fourfold increase in cancer rates clustered around the Tullamarine Toxic Dump.

"The Terminate Tullamarine Dump Action Group (TTDAG) has long held fears about health impacts in the area.

"Recent media reports* of serious beach erosion at Portsea add to the rising tide of reports of unprecedented high tides and inundation of beaches, land and roads at the southern part of Port Phillip Bay since the Entrance to the bay was deepened by five metres," said Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik today.

Justice Osborn has reserved his decision. It could take anywhere from one month to six months to hand down a finding, but of course we are hoping sooner.
 
The four week trial has been marked by finger-pointing between government logging bodies VicForests and DSE about who is responsible for endangered species. The behavior of those charged with protecting our wildlife has been exposed to public scrutiny and the Supreme Court’s enquiry.

The North East Regional Council is pleased to announce that Jenny O’Connor from Beechworth was recently selected as the Australian Greens candidate for the Federal electorate of Indi, in north east Victoria. Jenny stood at the last federal election as Richard de Natale’s running mate for the Senate, when she acquitted herself with distinction. We are fortunate to have such an articulate and committed person representing the Greens, and we look forward to supporting her during her campaign.