It’s good to be back with another end of month Birrell’s Bulletin. Here’s what I’ve been up to across Nicholls this July, and what’s coming up.
FIX OUR BLOODY ROADS
Potholes across regional Victoria are not just an inconvenience. They are dangerous.
Cars and trucks are being damaged every day, and drivers are being forced to swerve into oncoming traffic just to avoid them.
Motorists are expected to keep their vehicles roadworthy. Governments should be expected to keep our roads worthy of the cars driving on them.
The state Liberal-Nationals Coalition has committed $5 billion to fix more than one million potholes across Victoria.
Labor has neglected regional roads for years. We need a change of government, at both a state and federal level, to fix them.
If you have a pothole or road hazard to report in Nicholls, get in touch with my office and we will help you raise it with the right authority.
SNAP YOUR WAY INTO THE 2027 CALENDAR
I’m calling on photographers across Nicholls, from beginners to seasoned pros, to enter the 2027 Places of Nicholls Calendar Competition.
This year’s theme is Naturally Nicholls. Think the Murray River, the grain silos, our main streets, footy grounds and the moments that say home to you.
Entries are open now and close 10pm on Wednesday 30 September. Thirteen winning photos, one for every month plus the front cover, will feature in a free calendar distributed right across the electorate.
There are prizes too. First place gets a $200 gift card, second $100, third $50.
Enter online only at www.sambirrell.com.au/2027-calendar.
CALLING ON FARMERS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES
Australians in metropolitan areas sometimes don’t understand the importance and success of our farming sector. We need to tell them about it.
There’s plenty to celebrate in Australian agriculture, and I want to get those stories out there so more people can see the work behind it. That means hearing directly from you: how your operation runs, what you produce, and what you’re proud of.
Success looks different on every farm. Five generations in or five years in. A major operation or a small one. Dairy, cropping, horticulture, livestock, studs, poultry, vineyards and everything in between.
Agriculture also reaches well beyond the farm gate. Cheesemakers, cider and gin makers, agronomists, vets, contractors, machinery makers, irrigation businesses, stock agents, processors, packers, transport operators and exporters all play a part.
I want Australians to see the whole picture. Whatever your part is, I want to tell your story to the rest of Australia.
I’m working with Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Darren Chester to bring a journalist down from Canberra to our region to capture your story. The profiles will be shared across Australia through social media and broader coverage.
If you’re keen, get in touch with my office by email at sam.birrell.mp@aph.gov.au.
AROUND TOWN
1. Backing Kilmore’s Growth
The Allan Labor Government has approved a planning overlay that will see Kilmore grow by more than 300% in the coming decades.
Annabelle Cleeland, Member for Euroa, and I were in Kilmore working on the priorities, and number one is the John Street extension. It would connect residents in the growth corridor to the shops in the north of town without adding to congestion on Sydney Road. Mitchell Shire is ready to go, but has not found a government willing to fund it.
The roads and other infrastructure cannot cope with what is already here. Kilmore deserves a fair share of infrastructure investment before the growth arrives, not after.
2. Standing Up for Dookie’s Farmland
I felt it was critical to bring Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan to the region to show him how the Victorian Government’s renewable energy plans threaten some of Victoria’s most productive farmland.
Dookie’s wheat and canola yields can be more than double the Victorian average. A renewable energy zone is incompatible with this highly productive farming region.
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition opposing a renewable energy zone covering this land. That petition was tabled in Victorian Parliament Tuesday 28 July.
3. Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics
An icy cold morning in Echuca to jump into the icy water and raise funds for the Special Olympics.
The Special Olympics provides year round sports programs for people of all capabilities with intellectual disabilities. Sport brings people together and fosters inclusion and friendships.
Echuca has a vibrant Special Olympics club and community, and it was great to be part of this morning.
4. Farewelling Kim O’Keeffe MP
My state colleague Kim O’Keeffe has made the decision not to contest the next state election. I wish her all the best for the future and thank her for her advocacy and work for the constituents of Shepparton.
Politics can be a difficult life, combative and personal at times, and only those who have been in the eye of the storm really know. What I would like people to be aware of are the behind the scenes moments where Kim showed real compassion and care for people in our community going through very difficult times.
I saw and heard about this often. She has made a great contribution and a difference in many people’s lives, and has also lived the word inclusion in our community. All the best, Kim.
5. Australia’s Queen of the Desert – Local champion spotlight
At just 22, Kialla’s Madi Healey has won the Queen of the Desert title at Finke for the third year running.
Finke is a two day, 446 kilometre race from Alice Springs to Aputula and back. It’s one of the most difficult and remote off road races in the world. Madi completed the course in five hours and 16 minutes, finished 52nd outright and won the women’s class by more than 20 minutes.
Just weeks later, Madi claimed the Hattah Desert Race Women’s Championship, almost 300 kilometres of racing over approximately four hours. She finished 78th outright and won the women’s class by 11 minutes.
Finke and Hattah are Australia’s two biggest and toughest desert races. Winning both in the same year completed a personal goal Madi set at the start of the season, and is a major achievement in Australian motorsport.
Madi competes as a privateer, relying on the steadfast support of her family and sponsors. Her results reflect the dedication and determination she puts into her racing, and she continues to represent our region with pride on the national stage.
Madi leads the Victorian Enduro Championship and sits fourth in the Australian Enduro Championship, just two points behind third place. Next up is the Kalgoorlie Desert Race in October as she continues her pursuit of success on the national desert racing circuit.
I caught up with Madi to hear what it takes to hold that speed and concentration on a dirt bike through hours of punishing desert conditions. Women’s motorsport is getting more exposure than ever, and Madi says there is a real opportunity for more people to get behind riders like her.
Madi is one of the best dirt bike riders in the country. Nicholls should be proud.
If you’re a business interested in sponsoring an outstanding young athlete, contact Madi at madihealeymx@outlook.com.
LABOR WON’T SAY WHERE THE MONEY WENT
Victoria’s Big Build has blown out by billions, and taxpayers still haven’t had a straight answer about it.
That’s money that could have gone into roads, schools and hospitals right here in Nicholls, instead of cost overruns in Melbourne.
Every dollar wasted in the city is a dollar regional Victoria doesn’t see. We’re still waiting on upgrades to local roads and health services while the bill for the Big Build keeps climbing.
A lot of this funding comes from the federal government to the Victorian government. If we are not getting value, or worse, funds are finding their way into organised crime, it is everyone’s business.
As of yesterday, it’s Ben Carroll who has to give Victorians that explanation. But no matter who is leading the government, the accountability doesn’t change with the leader. He has been a cabinet minister in this government, and it is his government’s job to come clean, including to everyone here in Shepparton and across Nicholls, about exactly where taxpayers’ money has gone and what is being done to fix it.
Regional communities deserve the same accountability as everyone else.
Victoria needs a fresh start in November. And for anyone looking to the Federal Government and wondering what the future of this country could look like, this is exactly where this kind of Labor policy and governance leads us.