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Clock ticking down to natural gas deadline

Today marks 400 days until the State Election and the Bracks Government’s deadline to provide natural gas to country Victoria.

By Philip Davis - 21st October 2005 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Country Victoria, Philip Davis said despite pre-election promises in 2002, country Victorian families had just emerged from yet another winter without access to reticulated natural gas.

He said the $70 million Natural Gas Extension Program had proven to be a farce, with disappointed households across country Victoria.

"In the past 1060 days, the actions of the Bracks Government on this issue have certainly been a sight to behold," Mr Davis said.

"We saw them touring around the State just weeks before the 2002 election, promising natural gas left, right and centre.

"Residents of these towns then heard nothing more of these commitments until mid 2004, when the Liberal Party highlighted the Bracks Government’s failure to deliver on these promises and put the issue back on the table.

"Then in November 2004, more announcements were made about even more towns being connected to natural gas, but the communities of Avoca, Wandong, Terang, Heywood, Smythesdale, Myrtleford, Bright, Beechworth, Nathalia, Yea and Bonnie Doon are conveniently left off the Government’s list.

"Only after persistence from the Liberal Party did the Bracks Government then admit that it had backflipped on commitments to Avoca, Wandong and Terang – they were no longer going to receive their promised natural gas."

Then on 13 September 2005, Labor’s Minister for Energy and Resources, Theo Theophanous came clean and admitted his party’s promises meant nothing, stating: "We never said that every single person in every one of those towns would have access to natural gas" (Hansard, 13 September 2005).

Despite these announcements and backflips, the towns of Heywood, Smythesdale, Myrtleford, Bright, Beechworth, Nathalia, Yea and Bonnie Doon are still waiting for the Bracks Government to admit they too have been forgotten and will not receive their pre-election promise of natural gas.

"With only 400 days to go, the clock is ticking loudly," Mr Davis said.

"Country Victorians are sick and tired of being let down by the Bracks Government.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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