Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Hansard source

That is one particular issue. Another issue is health. Let me bring you up to speed on what has been happening in my electorate with regard to health. We have lost doctors. Over this last 2½- to-three-year period we have lost them because the distribution priority area was expanded under this government. So the number of doctors who have left regional areas for metropolitan areas has increased—56 per cent more have left. That has not helped us one iota.

What dollars have been put into education in my electorate? Well, I'd like to know. I would really, sincerely like to know. Are people in the regions—in Mallee—worse off or better off under this Labor government? I can absolutely guarantee you they are worse off. Mallee has been selected—wow, a badge of honour—to carry the renewable target zone called the 'renewable energy zone'. In Victoria, there were five renewable energy zones but now there is one, and it's called Mallee. Thank you very much.

We are an agricultural area. We are a horticultural area. And now we have the target spot, the big bullseye, on Mallee to receive 50 projects, so far, of renewable wind turbines, solar farms, batteries and transmission lines. There will be 350 kilometres of transmission lines going straight through farmers' paddocks. Are farmers happy about this? I can give you a really clear answer to that. The answer is no.

There are some farmers who have made the decision to take the money and put the turbines on their property. Are they still talking to the farmers in the next paddock? This is a genuine issue. Under this government, the divisions that have occurred throughout my communities is absolutely appalling. There needs to be accountability given to, and taken by, this Labor government.

On top of that, we have mineral sands. The coalition are pro-mines; there's no question about that. Of course, we welcome mining. I see the Minister for Resources right here, and no, it's not about NIMBYism; it's the fact that there are primary industries already taking place in my electorate. I have farms where they are going to have mineral sands on their property for 36 years. There has been an article this week from the ABC about this very project.

The local communities are up in arms. I have farmers ready to just walk away, now. They're ready to walk away from generational farming—and I'm talking about five and six generations. What does that mean for our food security in the future? I think Australia needs to seriously look at where we are going with regard to mineral sands operations and it needs to have a social licence, not just a miners' willingness.

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