By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, it\u2019s been over 200 days since the federal election, and a local MP has shared his thoughts on his time representing most of Moorabool so far.<\/p>\n
Sam Rae was elected the inaugural Member for Hawke following the election on 21 May, and said it had been \u201ca very busy 200 days\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve wasted no time in delivering on our promises. $10 million was secured in the October budget to kickstart the Western Highway Upgrade with a detailed business case. This is the critical first step in ensuring our community can get to work efficiently and home to their families safely,\u201d Mr Rae told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also secured funding for upgrades to local schools and community infrastructure such as $400,000 for Federation Park in Darley.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Rae said it had also been a significant period in Canberra, with \u201csome very important legislation passing\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill was passed just a couple of weeks ago, which will see a much-needed lift in wages. This follows the 5.2 per cent increase to the minimum wage shortly after the election,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince coming to government, we have also been delivering cost of living relief by slashing the cost of medicines at our local pharmacies and delivering cheaper childcare \u2013 something I was particularly proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n
On two local projects of note in Moorabool \u2013 the Bacchus Marsh indoor pool (or lack of one), and the Western Renewables Link \u2013 Mr Rae said he was working hard to advocate for the community\u2019s needs and concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince being elected, I have been fighting continuously to have the [Western Renewables Link] project reviewed. I don\u2019t support the proposal in its current form. AEMO have recently commenced a process of review for components of the project, and I will be fighting for a better outcome for our community in Hawke,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI strongly support the Bacchus Marsh pool and I\u2019ll continue to work across all stakeholders to get it built. My local priority for our community this year has been to kickstart the Western Highway upgrade with the $10 million commitment secured in October\u2019s budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for Moorabool, the Bacchus Marsh indoor pool didn\u2019t receive the $15 million needed from this year\u2019s Federal Budget, which would complement $15 million from Council and $10 million from the State Government and get the project fully funded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis Believe it or not, it\u2019s been over 200 days since the federal election, and a local MP has shared his thoughts on his time representing most of Moorabool so far. Sam Rae was elected the inaugural Member for Hawke following the election on 21 May, and said it had been \u201ca very […]<\/p>\n