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Country Victorians Shiver Through Another WinterAs Victorians woke this morning to freezing temperatures, many country communities were unable to keep warm because they don’t have access to reticulated natural gas or firewood. By Phillip Davis - 20th June 2006 - Back to News Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis said this winter would be particularly uncomfortable for residents of towns including Heywood, Smythesdale, Nathalia and Yea who were still waiting to hear about their natural gas connections promised by Labor leading into the 2002 election.
"As temperatures plummeted below zero early this morning, families and the elderly throughout country Victoria struggled to keep warm because the Bracks Government failed to provide them with adequate heating provisions," Mr Davis said.
"In a last minute vote-grab in the dying days before the 2002 election, Labor candidates promised gas connections throughout country Victoria.
"Four years later, many of these country towns are still without their promised connections while some communities have found that the Bracks Government only intended on connecting a portion of their towns so many have missed out.
"Avoca, Wandong, Terang, Bright, Beechworth, Myrtleford, Alexandra, Bonnie Doon, Eldorado and Porepunkah have been told their promised gas connections were nothing but an election stunt.
"But the Bracks Government lacks the courage to inform Heywood, Smythesdale, Nathalia and Yea that they are also victims of this hoax, so they continue to shiver through winter in the hope that one day they might have gas connected."
Mr Davis said country Victorians had little option when it came to heating, since the Bracks Government made it more difficult to acquire firewood.
"Country Victoria is short of firewood because the Bracks Government has established more National Parks, in particular the establishment of the Box Iron Bark National Park, resulting in a dramatic shortage of firewood in northern Victoria," he said.
"People are also excluded from areas where they previously collected firewood, due to the Bracks
Government’s inability to manage public land and prevent bushfires.
"There are many people in country areas who cannot afford bottled gas for heating and that is why they rely on firewood.
"If the Government will not replace firewood with gas, they have no other options left."
Mr Davis said the government should honour its commitment to connect gas to country Victoria.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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