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State Election

By on February 7, 2015

New Minister for Energy and Resources.

DR ELIZABETH GIBSON, General Manager of CMPA provides information on the newly elected State Government election platform.

Yes, we have a new State Government with the Premier, Daniel Andrews and Ministers busily settling in. The new Minister for Energy and Resources is the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio (State Member for Mill Park), who is also the Minister for Industry. The following is an extract from her website:

Lily grew up in Fawkner in what was then an outer northern suburb and knows first hand how challenging it can be for families to make ends meet and the role governments can play in helping families along the way. She was educated at Fawkner North Primary School, Mercy College, Coburg and St Aloysius College, North Melbourne before going on to study English, Philosophy and Politics at the University of Melbourne. Lily also completed a Diploma in Public Policy.

Lily joined the ALP in 1983 and became involved in many community campaigns including support for local jobs for the northern suburbs, fair pay and conditions for women in work, better public transport, decent schools and well paid skilled jobs for our kids.

In 2002, Lily was elected to Parliament representing the Lower House seat of Mill Park.

Following the re-election of the Bracks Government in 2002, Lily was appointed Chair of the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee of the Victorian Parliament. In 2006, she was promoted by Premier Bracks to the role of Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Communities (from 2007, Community Development), and was promoted to Cabinet in January 2010 becoming Minister for Community Development.

With the defeat of the Brumby Government at the 2010 election, Lily was appointed Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Shadow Minister
for Cost of Living and Shadow Minister for the Suburbs.

As of November 2014 with the election of the Andrews Labor Government, Lily has been appointed as Minister for Industry, Energy & Resources.

Lily lives in Thomastown and enjoys reading, thinking about exercising, doing odd jobs around the house and spending time with her husband, Andrew and two teenage daughters,
Eleanor and Madeleine, and their dog, Sugar Sweet.

The CMPA is in the process of arranging a meeting with the new Minister.

The State Government was elected on a platform of cancelling the East West link. However, there is some good news for infrastructure expenditure in their election platform and see the following excerpts from Labor’s project 10,000.

“Delivering Our Goals

Project 10,000

In November 2013 Victorian Labor released Project 10,000. Project 10,000 committed a future Labor Government to:

  • Removing 50 of the most deadly level crossings – to enable traffic to flow again in our suburbs and hundreds of extra trains to run
  • Starting work on Melbourne Metro Rail – which will double the size and capacity of the City Loop
  • Removing 5,000 trucks a day from the West Gate Bridge by building the West Gate Distributor
  • Dedicating $1 billion to suburban roads and $1 billion to country roads
  • Establishing the Victorian Transport Building Fund – a dedicated investment fund to support delivery of new transport related capital projects.

Project 10,000 will deliver at least 10,000 construction jobs and unlock congestion and building capacity. Labor believes that world-class public transport can be achieved for Victoria.

Roads

Labor recognises that roads are vital for our communities, cities and State. In Melbourne, private car transport accounts for 77 per cent of all weekday trips, and 81 per cent on weekends. Roads therefore will continue to form a vital aspect of our transport infrastructure. Victorian roads have been allowed to deteriorate, putting drivers, passengers and other road users at risk. Labor will reverse this trend.

Road Funding

Under Labor, regional and outer suburban areas will receive guaranteed, consistent and ongoing funding.

Labor will:

  • Guarantee funding for the repair and upgrade of roads in outer suburban and interface communities
  • Guarantee funding for the repair and upgrade of roads and level crossings in regional communities
  • Legislate to guarantee the proportion of funding for these communities in perpetuity
  • Confirm in legislation the compulsory payment of traffic camera and speeding fines into the Better Roads Victoria Trust Account.

Roads to Sustain Rural Industry and Rural Communities

Labor believes that local communities and industry need to be better supported to ensure roads that connect primary production to freight hubs are maintained to an adequate standard. Labor will provide better access to markets, including export markets so that the Victorian economy can grow.

Labor will:

  • Meet the needs of primary producers to have good farm gate access
  • Meet the needs of major industry to access ports
  • Balance the amenity of rural communities with the productivity of farming and primary industries
  • Continue to support rail freight and improve routes to the Port of Melbourne
  • Work with rural councils and industry to ensure proper maintenance of local roads”

CMPA looks forward to working with the new Victorian Government in the coming years.

 

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