FINAL BIDS Labor and Liberal parties keep pledging in election’s last days

THE state election is in its final days but the major parties have not slowed in their efforts to attract Surf Coast voters, making several promises for people to consider before the polls close on Saturday night.

Both Labor and the Liberals are keen to win and retain (respectively) the seat of South Barwon, which covers the upper half of the Surf Coast Shire and is one of the most marginal seats in the entire state – incumbent MP Andrew Katos holds it for the Liberals by less than 3 per cent.

Mr Katos and his Labor opponent Darren Cheeseman started the last week of the campaign with sporting pledges on Saturday.

Mr Katos committed $1 million towards the next stage of works at Torquay Bowls Club, while Mr Cheeseman matched the Liberals’ earlier pledge of $500,000 towards the construction of the new clubhouse for the Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club with a $600,000 commitment of his own.

Continuing the sporting pitch, Mr Cheeseman visited Jan Juc beach on Monday as part of an announcement that Labor would provide $800,000 to Surfing Victoria to deliver the Surfers Rescue 24/7 program at all Victorian boardriders clubs over the next four years.

“Surfers are in the water dawn to dusk, 365 days a year and are often the first responders to emergencies at our beaches, so skilling them up in CPR and first aid just makes sense,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Liberals continued their focus on law and order, announcing their government would work with Victoria Police and the Chief Commissioner to “ensure that police resources are appropriately allocated to police stations during busy holiday periods” in places such as Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay.

“Only a Matthew Guy-led government will deliver tough-oncrime and community-safety polices to keep residents in Torquay and the Surf Coast safe,” Mr Katos said.

The last-minute pledges may be in vain, however, as some of the people reading this article may have already voted.

The Victorian Electoral Commission is reporting record numbers of early voters ahead of election day on Saturday November 24, with nearly twice as many people across the state deciding to cast their ballots early than in 2014.