Wimmera residents seeking face-to-face meetings with the Member for Mallee will need to continue to do so through mobile offices for at least the next three years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Anne Webster has an electorate office in Mildura and has also selected a location in Swan Hill - the same two locations as her Nationals predecessor Andrew Broad.
Dr Webster said a staff member was working remotely in Horsham and Maryborough to ensure residents' concerns were heard.
"Her name's Helen, and she understands and is abreast of community events and issues," Dr Webster said.
"I've worked with her for some time now, so I know she's extremely thorough, which is very helpful to me."
Under Department of Finance rules, members of parliament representing an electoral division between 25,000 and 350,000 square kilometres are provided a maximum of two electorate offices. Mallee is 81,962 square kilometres in size.
The Special Minister of State oversees a value for money test which members must meet when selecting their premises.
Members may choose to establish another electorate office at their own expense, which does not require approval from the minister.
They may also choose to establish a satellite office with the minister's approval, and receive $20,644 to put towards this.
She said she was considering pursuing this option in Maryborough, a town of 8000 people which was added to the electorate during the most recent redistribution.
"That end of the electorate clearly needs to see my face," she said. "The mobile offices are all about face-to-face meetings so people can book in a half-hour to see me, and I'm certainly happy to do that. They just need to talk to Helen and we will set that up.
"I'm conscious it takes time for people to trust you in this role and it's a two-way street. It would be great to see some more people come out and meet face to face."
Dr Webster said she planned to meet people in Horsham, Warracknabeal and St Arnaud during October, in between parliamentary sitting weeks. She said she was looking forward to getting where she "needed to be" in the electorate, though some significant issues at the northern end of Mallee were occupying much of her time.
"In terms of drought, water and seasonal workers, there are some pretty critical things going on right now that I'm needing to turn my mind to," she said.
Dr Webster said people wanting to arrange a meeting in Horsham or Maryborough could phone 5021 5987.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.
Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
