Hindmarsh shire push to localise citizenship and medical examinations

Councillor Ron Lowe said current residents had to travel sometimes upwards of three hours for citizenship examinations or medical examinations related visa extensions.

He said people had to travel to Mildura, Swan Hill, or Bendigo.

Cr Lowe said the current situation caused difficulty for many of the Wimmera's "broad multicultural population".

"There is a cost associated with having to go and stay somewhere overnight, and in a town they don't know," he said.

"(There is also) a high risk of COVID-19 infection being contracted and brought back into the district.

"Both applicants that I have been speaking to work in essential services, and that places them and the services they work in ... at high risk."

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Cr Lowe said the process should be done within the Wimmera.

"The Hindmarsh and Wimmera region are very much multicultural and there has been, and will continue to be, need for such services," he said.

Cr Lowe moved that the shire write to federal member for Mallee MP Anne Webster and federal minister for citizenship, migrant services and multicultural affairs MP David Coleman to improve the situation.

He also moved a second motion that the Council write to several local businesses, such as Wimmera Health Care Group and Luv-A-Duck asking for their support.

Both motions passed with no objection.

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