Media Releases

More than 150 jobs are expected to be created through the development of two new industrial sites in Carisbrook, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Development Damian Drum announced today.

Representing Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan in Carisbrook, Mr Drum announced $1.53 million Victorian Coalition Government funding would be provided to the Central Goldfields Shire Council as part of the $3.4 million initiative.

“The Carisbrook Renewal Park will promote industrial activity and attract new investment to the region through the expansion of existing businesses and the addition of new businesses and industries,” Mr Drum said.

Mr Drum said the Carisbrook Renewal Park comprised of council-owned land at Tullaroop Road (Site 1) and the Penny and Lang site (Site 2).

“The council proposes developing eight lots at Site 1 and three super-lots at Site 2 and estimates that the Park will retain 15 existing jobs, assist in the creation of 98 new direct jobs and 35 indirect jobs, as well as an additional 18 jobs through the construction phase.”

The Carisbrook Renewal Park project works across the two sites includes:

• site establishment;
• traffic and environmental management;
• road works including intersection, service roads, curb and channeling;
• stormwater drainage and associated works;
• land preparation including sub-grade removal and replacement;
• service trenching and conduits ;
• connection to utilities (water, gas and power) and relocation of existing infrastructure;
• retardation basin for flood mitigation purposes; and
• fencing and landscaping

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan $1.53 million Coalition Government funding for the project would be made to the Central Goldfields Shire Council with the balance provided by the council and sales of the serviced lots.

“The Coalition Government’s is pleased to provide funding through our $1 billion Regional Growth Fund’s Economic Infrastructure Program, which aims to improve the productive potential of regional Victoria by strengthening regional industries,” Mr Ryan said.

“The fund is about supporting and growing local economies and providing opportunities for regional Victoria through investment in enabling strategic infrastructure.

“Our support for the Carisbrook Renewal Park is a clear example of how the Coalition Government’s strategy of investing in targeted projects that support jobs, growth and development in regional and rural areas can have major flow-on benefits,” Mr Ryan said.

The Victorian Government has awarded Billman’s Foundry a $25,000 grant to support the company’s $100,000 upgrade of its power supply in Castlemaine.

The Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Louise Asher, said the grant was part of a $3 million package designed to help companies across the state improve their global competitiveness, save money on production costs and create more local employment.

Minister Asher said the grants, through the Competitive Business Fund (CBF), would deliver long term economic benefits and employment growth to Victoria: “The new projects, supported under the CBF, represent almost $20 million of investment and are expected to deliver at least 340 new jobs.’’

The Member for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum MP, congratulated Billman’s Foundry, which was established more than 20 years ago in a small tin shed, and today employs 16 people becoming one of Australia's largest fountain manufacturers.

“This grant will enable Billman’s Foundry to employ two additional people, save costs and boost productivity,” Mr Drum said.

“The foundry uses age-old methods to create moulds from hard sand, green sand or lost wax ceramic shell, continuing the tradition of producing lasting products in bronze, aluminium and cast iron.”

“This grant will enable Billman’s to upgrade the foundry's power supply by installing a 1,000 amps transformer, allowing the company to increase production from three to four melts per day.”

“In March, the Victorian Government decided to open up eligibility for this Fund to smaller businesses for the first time, which meant that Billman’s Foundry could qualify.”

Minister Asher said the CBF was helping to foster a dynamic manufacturing sector by building capability and prompting demand driven development of new products for both domestic and export markets:

“The fund is an excellent example of how the government is working collaboratively with industry to drive improved efficiencies and competitiveness.

“These grants to 17 companies across Victoria will assist investment in new equipment, infrastructure, technology and product or process innovation and will lead to sustainable increases in business productivity, employment and export potential.”

August 19, 2011

National MP for Northern Victorian Region, Damian Drum, has urged the State Government not to give up the fight to protect northern agriculture from imported New Zealand apple diseases.
Speaking in State Parliament, Mr Drum said the Federal Government had failed to protect Australian apple and pear growers from disastrous apple fireblight from New Zealand.
The Federal Government has decided to allow the importation of NZ apples after years of debate over the risk of bringing apple fireblight to Australia.
Growers at Harcourt and the Goulburn Valley have begged governments to keep the risk at bay by maintaining the ban on NZ apples.
Mr Drum told parliament orchardists had “little or no confidence in the Federal Agricultural Minister, Joe Ludwig.”
He said: “His lack of due diligence on this issue may give Australian apple and pear growers an industry-threatening disease without the resources to cope,”
He said the federal decision to allow NZ apples into the country was a blow to the people of the Goulburn Valley at a time when many were still reeling from job losses at Girgarre and Mooroopna.
“Furthermore, Harcourt apple growers who have just emerged from years of drought and are now looking for a period of consolidation, do not need to have the threat of fireblight hanging over their heads.”
Mr Drum has called on State Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh to lobby the Federal Government and to do whatever was possible to avert the threat to an entire industry.
The decision to allow NZ apples into Australia comes just a month after Mr Walsh issued a warning at a meeting of federal and state agriculture ministers.
He said he held grave fears draft recommendations did not do enough to protect the local apple and pear industry from the risk of fire blight.

“I am not convinced that New Zealand has demonstrated adequate protocols to ensure organically grown apples will not be the vehicle for fire blight entering Australia,” Mr Walsh said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Development Damian Drum met
with local government, business and community representatives in Mildura
today to discuss priorities in the Northern Loddon Mallee Regional
Strategic Plan.

Mr Drum said the roundtable talks on the Regional Plan would focus on
economic development, leadership and actions for the region.

Representing Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development
Peter Ryan, Mr Drum said the Victorian Coalition Government had officially
launched the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund this week to support growth
and investment in regional areas.

“Driving economic growth in regional and rural Victoria is a key priority
and the purpose of the Regional Growth Fund is to add value, while
strengthening infrastructure across Victoria,” Mr Drum said.

“The Coalition Government has a vision for regional development, to ensure
the regions remain key contributors to Victoria’s future growth and
prosperity, and roundtable events such as this have been set up to
establish working relationships with business.”

Mr Drum said the Coalition Government understood the benefits of a
grass-roots approach to regional development activities.

“The Coalition Government believes in working in partnership with local
people and in developing projects that have been identified by local
communities, for local communities,” Mr Drum said.

“Communicating with industry and key stakeholders is crucial to ensuring
each region is best placed to take advantage of available government
resources to support locally identified projects and initiatives.”

Mr Drum said it was an exciting time in regional Victoria with population
growth and unprecedented investment delivering more opportunities for
people who live and work in Regional Victoria.

To see a copy of the Loddon Mallee Regional Plan visit
http://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/victorian-regions/loddon-mallee

Small Business Victoria’s Mobile Business Centre is gearing up to deliver free face-to-face business mentoring and face-to-face assistance to businesses in Bendigo on Monday June 27 and in Castlemaine on Thursday June 30

The Mobile Business Centre will visit 40 locations in regional Victoria, including Bendigo and Castlemaine, during the year. Regional businesses will have direct access to a Small Business Victoria presence in their own community.

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum, said the objective of the 2011 Mobile Business Centre program was to deliver targeted support to Victorian small businesses, wherever they are located.

“Small business owners, particularly those in regional areas, often face difficulties accessing reliable information, or they lack the time to go out and get business advice to help them make decisions for their business,” Mr Drum said.

“The Mobile Business Centre will help to fill this information gap as it travels throughout regional Victoria delivering services that meet the needs of small businesses.”

“The Coalition Government knows from business and community leaders throughout Victoria just how valued the services of the Mobile Business Centre are.”

“While the Mobile Business Centre is in Bendigo, small business owners will be able to access the full range of Small Business Victoria services, including face-to-face mentoring from the Small Business Mentoring Service, and access to the Business Victoria website.”

Small business people affected by the recent floods have already been able to use the Mobile Business Centre this year to help them get back on their feet.

The Mobile Business Centre will be outside the Victorian Business Centre, 46 Edward Street, Bendigo, from 11am - 4pm, on Monday June 27 and outside the Market Building, 44 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine, from 10am - 4pm, on Thursday June 30.

Details of the locations and dates for the 2011 Mobile Business Centre tour and information on how to book a mentoring session can be found at www.businessvic.gov.au/mbc or by calling Small Business Victoria on 13 22 15.

A $2 million allocation in this month’s State Budget will allow Maryborough and the Central Goldfields Shire to react swiftly to any future growth opportunities, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Damian Drum, said today.
Mr Drum was in Maryborough to discuss the Shire’s bold new Go Goldfields strategy, which won major funding from the new Regional Growth Fund.
“Go Goldfields is the result of some inspired visioning from the shire and the broader community,” Mr Drum said.
“It sets out a plan under which the region will be able to quickly take up any growth opportunity which comes its way.
“Go Goldfields was developed by Central Goldfields Shire – in partnership with agencies and the community – after a great deal of planning and discussion.
The community focussed on five priorities: early childhood, youth, skills and training, community development and environmental sustainability.”
Mr Drum said that work had identified the strengths and weakness in the region and now Go Goldfields would work to achieve community renewal and addressing some of the social and society challenges.
Among the strategy’s early aims are ideas on creating stronger families, to reconnect young people with the community, improving literacy and a range of family-based well-being projects.
“There would, for example, be a specialist children’s librarian and an expansion of the Bookmates program to improve the language skills of young children,” Mr Drum said.
“There would be expanded speech pathology services through the Maryborough District Health Service.
“And there would be efforts to get better linkages from the various assistance agencies which already exist across the community.
“This would all be geared towards developing stronger foundations, strong building blocks in the Central Goldfields Shire. This, in turn, better equips the community to react positively and quickly to new economic circumstances.”
Mr Drum said it was an example of getting the basic community settings right to be able to build new futures.
The strategy will be driven by an Alliance chaired by Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Chris Meadows-Taylor and will include representatives from across all sectors of the community, including:
• ASETERIA Disability Services
• Bendigo Health
• Central Victoria Health Alliance
• Emergency Accommodation and Support Enterprises
• Goldfields Education and Learning Centre
• Maryborough District Health Service
• Maryborough Education Centre
• Maryborough Police
• Salvation Army
• St Luke’s Anglicare
Mr Drum said the strategy had been discussed with the Liberal/Nationals Coalition before last November’s state election and had won a firm commitment of support.
“The Coalition State Government is now delivering on that commitment.
“I’m proud that the Government is partnering Maryborough with the strategy which, I believe, can help create a much brighter future for Maryborough and the region,” Mr Drum said.

An $8 million project to restore some of Melbourne’s famous old W-Class trams could be an enormous boost for the Bendigo Trust, Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum, said today.
He said he would fight to see that Bendigo Trust’s’ workshop won most of the work.
In this week’s Budget, the State Government outlined an $8 million scheme to refurbish dozens of the old W-Class trams now on the Melbourne City Circle line as well as putting more W-Class trams on tourist-oriented inner city lines.
Mr Drum has had further discussions with Transport Minister Terry Mulder and addressed a question to Mr Mulder in State Parliament later in the week.
In his address to Parliament, Mr Drum said: “I was hoping that some- if not all – of this restoration work could, in fact, be done in Bendigo.
“The Bendigo Tramways workshop has the capacity to do this work. It has the specific capacity to restore these W-Class trams.”
He said it would be a significant project for Bendigo.
“My understanding is that the Bendigo Tramways is well positioned in this area. I think it has often been referred to as the only specialist tramways workshop in Australia that has the ability to do this work.”
Mr Drum has asked Mr Mulder for more detail on the placing of the work.
“This would be a real shot in the arm for the Bendigo Tramways workshop,” he said.
W-Class trams were built in Melbourne, at the old Preston Workshops, from the 1920s to the 1950s. Yarra Trams still operate 38 W-Class trams on the hugely popular City Circle free service and is required by State law to maintain them.
More than three million people a year still use the W-Class trams in Melbourne.

Regional Rail Link to go ahead
The Coalition State Government decision to push ahead with the Regional Rail Link was great news for regional Victoria, Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, said today.
The huge project had to be reviewed when independent analysis showed the previous Labor Government had under-estimated the project cost by between $700 million and $1.1 billion.
Mr Drum has been a committed campaigner for a new rail link giving regional passenger trains a smoother path through the metropolitan Melbourne rail system and had raised the issue repeatedly in State Parliament.
“I was devastated when Department of Finance analysis recently revealed how wrong Labor had got the figures.
“We were forced to review the scope and timing of the project, but we will now push on despite the challengers Labor has left us
“Bendigo Labor MP Jacinta Allan has been running a disgraceful scare campaign, claiming the National Party and the Liberal Party had scrapped the Regional Rail Link. She was trying to create a smokescreen to hide Labor’s appalling economic incompetence,” he said.
“Like Transport Minister Terry Mulder, I believe the Regional Rail Link is an important foundation for future growth in capacity and reliability of Victoria’s train network and for growth in the regions.
“I note Mr Mulder’s remarks that on top of the under-funding, Labor failed to fund $259 million for 34 new V/Locity trains and another $150 million for major work at two rail crossings.
“So, we are still left with a challenging project, but one which will proceed and I look forward to further announcements in the near future,” Mr Drum said.

Businesses and primary producers hit by the recent rain and hail storms could be eligible for assistance through the Rural Finance Corporation, Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, said today.
Assistance measures are also available for the first time for primary producers whose crops were damaged by hail.
“Many farmers in our region are devastated by the floods and storms.
“Many were looking at bumper harvests after more than a decade of crippling drought, only to see their hopes dashed first by floods and rain and then by locusts.
“It is heartbreaking.”
Victorian Flood/Hail Damage Grants are available to eligible primary producers and small businesses through the Rural Finance Corporation which can be contacted on 5448 2600, by email on admin@ruralfinance.com.au or on the internet at www.ruralfinance.com.au.
Help is also available for people whose homes have been flooded in the recent heavy rains.
Applications can be made by telephoning 1300 650 172 or at www.dhs.vic.gov.au/emergency.

August 17, 2010
Locusts: Labor’s cheap plan risks massive disaster
Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum, has warned that Labor’s flawed, cheap anti-locust campaign was not enough to deal with potentially “the greatest agricultural disaster we have ever witnessed”.
“The Government’s penny-pinching efforts risk billions of dollars of losses. It is short-sighted and its must be changed.”
Under Labor’s plan, landowners would have to pay up front to have chemicals on hand to battle plague locusts later this year, but they would be reimbursed only for chemicals used.
“The farmers do not have the money to go out and spend a couple of thousand dollars in anticipation.”
Mr Drum feared that many farmers will try to get access to chemicals when the locusts hatched, even though there was a real chance that at that time there might not be enough insecticide to meet the demand.
“The Government has committed more than $40 million to help fight this coming plague, but it has made a deep and significant error in rolling out its war against locusts.”
He urged the Government to change its plan so that the Government bought the stocks of insecticide and then made it available wherever it was needed.
It was also worrying that the Government’s plan would pay for only enough chemicals to spray a property once. Follow-up spraying would be at the farmer’s expense.
Mr Drum said it was a looming tragedy for farmers who, after 13 years of failed rains, now had fantastic crop growth and forecast high commodity prices, only to now face a record plague locust threat.
Swift action was needed to put together a more effective campaign.
“One analogy would be sending our troops off to war and making them take their own bullets, saying we will reimburse them for bullets used on receipt of an empty shell. I don’t think that would work,” Mr Drum said.
Media inquiries: Damian Drum: 5443-6277, 0407 576 604