- 6/20/2025
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00:00Drought Task Force meetings, I'm joined by Minister For Water, Gail Tierney, Member for Eureka,
00:06Michaela Settle and Parliamentary Secretary as well for Agriculture and President of the BFF Press,
00:12Brett Hosking. And today, as I said, was our third meeting in our row. We've had weekly meetings now
00:17over the past three weeks since I announced the establishment of the drought task force.
00:23And when I announced the establishment of the drought task force, it was on the back of announcing
00:27our third package of drought support to communities that have been affected by the weather conditions
00:34across Victoria. If you go back to last September, when we announced the first of those packages,
00:39particularly targeted to the southwest of the state, and across the course of May, with the
00:45significantly deteriorating weather conditions, we announced a further two packages of support.
00:51But to guide the next stage of work that we knew that we had to do, we've made a commitment
00:56to walk with and support regional communities and climate communities that continue to be
01:01affected by the weather conditions. I made the decision to establish the drought task force,
01:07to chair the drought task force, and bring together representatives around the table so we could
01:12get advice on what more was needed to be done and where particularly we needed to target that
01:17support. So over the course of the last three meetings, we've had wide-ranging discussions,
01:22but also, too, zeroed in on some key areas about identifying particular industries and regions
01:30that are under pressure, and the southwest part of our state continues to be identified as a
01:35highest of priority in our considerations. Also, too, discussions around the banking and
01:42financial financing sector. We've just had today, led by Sue Brumby from the National Centre for
01:47Farmer Health, a long discussion, a challenging discussion about the mental health impacts that
01:53come with drought and come with seasonal conditions across rural and regional Victoria.
01:58And then, finally, today as well, we had an excellent engagement with the Federal Minister for
02:04Agriculture, Julie Collins. We invited the Federal Minister to come and be part of our discussions,
02:10because it is recognising that there is a, in terms of the next stage of support, how we continue
02:15to work with farming communities, with rural communities. It's in partnership with the Federal
02:20Government. And it was an opportunity to discuss with Minister Collins the issues that have been
02:26identified at last week's meeting around the existing Federal programs. And there's a range
02:31of existing Federal programs that are already making a difference in farming communities. But
02:36what more can be done from a Federal perspective? And there was an excellent engagement with the
02:42Minister. So our task now as Government is to go and take on board what we've heard. We've been
02:50doing work in parallel with the meetings, and that's why last week we announced some further changes
02:56to the freight network in the south-west, the kangaroo harvesting permits, and also to the
03:02bringing in of fodder from interstate. But we know that we've got more to do, and so we'll be undertaking
03:07that work in the next few weeks, in terms of shaping the Government's next stage of support for
03:13communities that are particularly being affected by the ongoing impact of drought and drought-like conditions.
03:19I mean, was there any decisions made today in this taskforce? So the purpose of the taskforce was to provide direct
03:27advice and to guide the decisions that the Government will now go away and need to take. And I took the
03:33decision to chair the taskforce, to establish the taskforce, because I wanted to make sure we were getting a
03:39breadth of views and hearing from communities right across the state, but also people who are living and breathing and working in those communities. The farmers, which has been a lot of
03:47in those communities. The farmers, which is why Brett has representative of the Farmers Federation, and also a farmer from
03:53Northern Victoria, farmers from the south-west, local government representatives, mental health representatives.
03:59Because that's how we get the best decisions, in terms of shaping the next package, listening to people who are either directly affected, or who are working with those farmers who are directly affected, will help shape the advice that the Government will now go away and work on.
04:15Premier, farmers continue to call for rate relief, zero interest loans, and funding for rural communities, particularly councils, impacted by the ripple effects of drought. Are there plans to address any of these?
04:27So in terms of, there's a range of options, there's a range of programs and suggestions that have been put to Government through the drought taskforce. And out of respect to those members of the taskforce, we've taken on board all of those ideas and are now working on the
04:45working through them. And that's the purpose of the taskforce. Those issues and more have been raised as potential suggestions for Government to go away and come back on providing support. And we'll be doing that work in coming weeks and coming back with further announcements.
05:00Was there any specifics that was discussed today, obviously, besides that mental health and that support that can be? Can we share?
05:07I do really understand that there is a real keenness and a sense of urgency for people to hear from the Government about what we're going to do next. And that is why we have been doing this work in parallel with the drought taskforce.
05:22And we've made a commitment to go away and we've made a commitment to go away and do this work quickly over the next few weeks so that we can come back with our next package of support, recognising too that this will, we've already provided three packages of support, support in the mental health area, support for on-farm grants, the actions that we took that we announced last week on freeing up freight networks and the bringing in of fodder from interstate. But we know there is more to do and that's the work that we're undertaking right now.
05:49Premier, this taskforce comes after massive pushback to the emergency services fund. Why not scrap the task at this point and go back to the drawing board if, as you say, you are doing this taskforce for regional communities?
06:03So the purpose of the drought taskforce is to sit around the table with government ministers, relevant departments and agencies and representatives of the farming communities and rural and regional communities and work through the challenges that are presented right now.
06:19As a result, particularly for the southwest of some of the worst conditions that have ever been experienced. And that is the focus and that is we have had some excellent discussions around that table, both in terms of identifying where those challenges are and working through potential options for government to consider and come back and provide more support.
06:43In terms of the emergency services.
06:45In terms of the emergency services levy, the emergency services levy is an existing, is taking an existing levy mechanism, a mechanism that has been in place since 2012, a levy that was recommended out of the Black Saturday fires of 2009.
07:01There was a Royal Commission into those devastating fires that occurred across so many parts of Victoria, 173 people lost their lives during those devastating fires.
07:12And one of the recommendations that was implemented by the former Liberal National Government, has continued to have support of all governments, was to have a levy mechanism to fund our fire services.
07:24And since that's been in place since 2012, we've continued to see how the impact of natural disasters, the changes in the climate conditions that we are experiencing in rural and regional Victoria, is seeing more frequent and fierce flood, fire and storm events.
07:44And particularly for communities around the Grampians, who have had consecutive summer seasons, those peak seasons, they've really badly impacted as a result of really difficult fire events, the fire in the Grampians over the past summer, that went for months and months, that really impacted those communities.
08:05That is seeing as a result of more and more being asked of not just our fire services, but all of our emergency services who come together and respond when these natural disasters take place.
08:17And that's why we're providing through this existing levy, expanding it and providing more support to our emergency services.
08:25And anyone who is suggesting, and I see this from our political opponents, who are suggesting to scrap this levy, to scrap this funding mechanism for our emergency services, are also going to scrap and cut funding for those emergency services, at precisely the time that we need to provide our emergency services with more support.
08:48Premier, there's been a lot of criticism that this task force could amount to a little more than a talk fest.
08:53I understand that you're planning on announcing concrete measures, as you say, in a couple of weeks.
08:58Are you confident that that's going to be enough to make sure that these communities who've been telling you everything that's going on, they're going to be satisfied with the things that you're going to deliver?
09:07So we've made, I've made a really clear commitment, whether it's across the three drought packages that we've already announced, and the work that we'll do going forward, that we'll continue to be guided by the advice, be guided by the seasonal conditions, and continue to provide support to drought affected farmers and farming communities.
09:27This is the commitment that we've made and that we're delivering against with the work of the task force.
09:32And of course, it comes in addition to the work we're doing as a government every single day, whether it's the investments that we make in our hospitals, the redevelopment that's underway right now at Womble, the recent opening of the new hospital in Maryborough, there's work going on at Swan Hill in the new emergency department.
09:49That's just in the health sector alone, the work we're doing in schools, the work we're doing in spending the most funding ever year upon year in regional road maintenance, recognising that that's a big issue as well for regional Victoria.
10:03We'll continue to invest in those things that matter for regional rural communities, for the families, for communities, and the drought task force, and the work we'll do next coming out of it is a part of that work.
10:15Would I be able to direct a question to you?
10:19You can, well Brett's here.
10:23So Brett, just obviously you'll be representing the farmers, and I know off the back of that question before, do you feel like these discussions and these talks are doing enough for the people that you're representing?
10:35I think the conversations happening in that task force room have been incredibly honest and incredibly frank and open.
10:43I don't think there would be anybody who left that task force saying that their views weren't put on the table and the views of the farmers who have been impacted by drought were not reflected in that room.
10:55The real challenge, I suppose, and that's a challenge for this government, is what's next?
10:59What comes next?
11:00It's also a challenge we put to the federal administrator today as to what next, as to how you deliver.
11:05So all those things that have been mentioned, like payment of council rates, interest-free loans for the RIC, and that's all put on the table today.
11:15It is something that we will vigorously pursue on behalf of the farmers that are feeling real impacts of this drought.
11:22You know, it has rained and we're delighted that we did see a bit of rain, but that doesn't necessarily spell the end of the drought.
11:28So monitoring how things go over the coming weeks, months, will be really, really important.
11:35Would you say something like this draft task force, something like this hasn't really happened before in response to a big disaster.
11:42Would you say this is quite a landmark field, could change the future of response to natural disasters?
11:47Look, I think we've learned a lot of valuable lessons through the task force, and I think it would be fair to say that there are opportunities that have been presented
11:57where we've shown the value of bringing communities together, bringing representatives of communities together, and kind of sharing those lived experiences from what happens inside those communities.
12:07So I would like to think that what the government has learned out of the last few weeks has been incredibly valuable to their decision-making,
12:15and I'm looking forward to much more practical and relevant drought measures coming forward as a result of it.
12:22That's a question for you, Premier.
12:24Just the last one?
12:25Yeah, sure.
12:26Okay, very good.
12:27So the new CFA station in Golden Square, which is worth more than $5 million, is still sitting unopened because of bad water pressure.
12:34Cullivan Water says it's not a problem. What can be done?
12:37Oh, look, I understand that this is something that's been worked through with the CFA and Cullivan Water,
12:42and I understand the opening of the brand-new fire station in Golden Square.
12:46It's a great project.
12:47It's one that the local brigade has been working on with their local member,
12:51Marie Edwards, for some time.
12:53And it is, I can understand the frustrations and the desire to see the station opened,
12:58and I believe the CFA and Colburn Water are working through those issues.
13:02Would you be prepared to personally intervene to get that fixed?
13:06Well, I think it's always important on these matters to take the advice of your experts and your engineers,
13:11and they're working on this issue right now, understanding that this is going to be a great asset
13:15for the Golden Square Fire Brigade, for the Golden Square community.
13:19The Golden Square CFA is one of our oldest and longest-running CFA brigades in the Bendigo area,
13:25been serving the community for decades upon decades.
13:29We're thrilled to be able to have been invested and worked with them on building a brand-new station,
13:33and we're all very, very keen to see it open.
13:36Just one from Channel 9, if you don't mind.
13:38Oh, I might mind.
13:39Let's see, let's find out.
13:41Victorian taxpayers have been slugged $1 million to pay out Tony Lockbell.
13:45What's your reaction to that?
13:47In terms of those sorts of matters, I'm not at liberty to discuss those confidential settlements
13:53that are made through those processes.
13:55Premier, you obviously said that the task force here today is listening to farmers.
13:59You've obviously given a reprieve for 12 months on the levy.
14:02Do you see something like this for the levy with the primary producers?
14:05Because I guess they have a lot of questions and they would like to be heard
14:08and have their voices, I guess, front and centre.
14:11With the drought task force, you've obviously said it's to listen to the farmers
14:14and listen to those primary producers.
14:16You've listened and given them that 12-month reprieve.
14:18Would you see something like this for the levy in future,
14:21like working towards what that looks like in coming years,
14:23or is the 12 months kind of just the full stop?
14:26We've been clear that we'll continue to be guided by the conditions,
14:29the advice around the impact that those conditions are having
14:32on rural and regional Victoria.
14:34But I also want to be absolutely clear that the expanding support
14:38for our emergency services is vitally important to protect
14:41regional and rural communities who are at the forefront
14:44of the more frequent and fierce natural disasters that affect farms,
14:49that affect livelihoods, that affect businesses in rural and regional communities.
14:54That is why we need to provide those emergency services with more support.
14:58It's why I'm recognising the contribution of volunteers,
15:01that we've provided the opportunity for volunteers to be exempt from pain,
15:05the levy.
15:06This is an important mechanism and anyone, as our political opponents are suggesting,
15:12who wants to cut this levy is cutting funding to our emergency services
15:18at precisely the time that more and more is being asked of our emergency services
15:23to protect us and to protect our communities.
15:26You've spoken about it going to the rural communities, but research has shown,
15:30or like an inquiry by our ACM has showed, that 70% is going to go to FRV.
15:35I guess, what is your response to that, obviously,
15:38if it's meant to be benefiting the rural communities,
15:40if it's going to Metro services?
15:42Well, let's be clear, Fire Rescue Victoria operates in the regional cities
15:48as well as metropolitan Melbourne.
15:50So I think it's important when we have these discussions
15:53about how the funds are raised, how they're allocated,
15:57who they're being allocated to.
15:59It's done with a level of fact because there's been too much,
16:03too much politicisation of what is a really important issue.
16:08And Fire Rescue Victoria is an important part
16:11of our emergency services network and they operate and protect
16:15many regional and rural communities right across the state.
16:19They protect this community here in Ballarat.
16:21They protect my community in Bendigo and many others
16:24right across the state.
16:25So it's simply incorrect when you make that claim
16:29that all the funding that goes to FRV
16:31is only going to metropolitan Melbourne.
16:33What about an ambulance Victoria?
16:35You might have heard a woman was left to die
16:37while waiting five hours for an ambulance
16:39due to an emergency services standoff.
16:42Would you say this is acceptable?
16:43This is clearly distressing, distressing for the family
16:47of the individual and my thoughts are with their family
16:51and loved ones in this really difficult time.
16:54This is being, I understand, looked at by the coroner.
16:57So I won't cut across the word of the coroner
16:59because the advice that the coroner provides to government
17:03and to the health services is going to be vitally important
17:06to guide how future responses are undertaken.
17:09Premier?
17:10I can't.
17:11We're really running out of...
17:12Sorry.
17:13This is last one.
17:14You're trying to wrap up.
17:15But you keep mentioning that your political opponents
17:17are coming out against this levy,
17:18which of course they are.
17:19But also, every service that this levy is meant to support
17:22has also come out against it.
17:24We had hundreds marching in the street in Ballarat on the weekend.
17:27There were thousands at Parliament House last month.
17:30Doesn't all this feedback tell you that it probably needs
17:32a bit of a rethink?
17:33Well, again, your statements are not based on fact.
17:36Your statements are not based on fact.
17:38This is an important mechanism to provide more funding
17:42and support to our emergency services
17:45at precisely the time when communities are turning
17:48to our emergency services to protect us
17:51in more frequent and fierce natural disasters.
17:54And so any...
17:56Our political opponents are proposing to cut the funding,
18:00to cut the levy.
18:01And the consequence of that is to cut into the very services
18:05that are protecting our communities
18:07during the event of natural disasters.
18:09Because I say very clearly,
18:11our political opponents have not said how
18:13they will replace this funding,
18:15what other services they might cut,
18:17what other levies they might raise.
18:19They've not put that...
18:20They've not put that forward,
18:22which only amounts to a cut to our emergency services
18:25that would be inflicted by the Liberal and National parties.
18:28Primary, it's the middle of winter.
18:30Sorry, we've got some further commitments.
18:32I now go over.
18:34I'm hoping to deal with this.
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