Education action needed
MY MUM always said, "there is no time like the present" when it comes to getting things done.
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Now is the time to sort out the Warracknabeal Education Precinct mess.
The time for looking for scapegoats is passed. Whoever dropped the ball is proving harder to find than the Loch Ness monster, so it's best to focus on outcomes.
The state government has just announced a tremendous $82m package to support rural school students. They even used a photo of the Premier with a Warracknabeal Secondary College student to promote it on Facebook.
Hopefully that's a hint that funding for this regional education precinct is being addressed - because one thing is clear, to take advantage of these announcements you need modern, fit-for-purpose classrooms every day.
The State Budget won't be handed down until May but about now is when the process starts and the precinct has to be funded in next year's Budget.
What needs to happen right now is for the Minister to sign off on permissions to allow the Victorian Schools Building Authority to do the final planning before works start.
Once that happens there's no reason why the process won't be completed in time for the funding to be announced in the State Budget.
It's called joined up government.
Over to you Minister Merlino the sooner it's done the sooner this goes away.
Dave Lennon, Jung
Tackling farm crime
I'M pleased to report to readers of the Wimmera Mail-Times plans by the state government to create a specialised farm crime unit to target farm crime, including livestock and equipment theft.
Farming is tough enough as it is without our farmers being subject to theft. I'm delighted the government is taking this issue seriously with the creation of a farm crime co-ordination unit.
The unit will be led by Inspector Karl Curran, who will oversee a team of more than 70 new farm crime liaison officers, previously known as agricultural liaison officers.
Their work will be backed up with extra administrative and co-ordination support.
This new team will provide a dedicated response to target farm crime by monitoring crime trends and patterns, developing intelligence and working with local police to address crime in rural areas.
The unit will also work closely with and provide advice to Victoria's farming and agricultural community, and provide intelligence and operational advice to Victoria Police command.
While farm crime contributes less than one percent of all offending in Victoria, we know it has a huge impact on communities throughout Western Victoria - particularly the theft of tools, livestock and firearms.
We take this type of offending very seriously, we've listened and we've acted.
Jaala Pulford, Member for Western Victoria