Q&A - 2022 State Election - Benambra Candidates

Mike Fuery - Animal Justice Party What would you do to improve the availability of affordable housing for locals and seasonal workers in the region? Disadvantaged people and workers who live and want to stay in regional towns should not be subject to the rising price of housing created by foreign online holiday brokerage services. Housing needs to include more efficient construction methods and innovative solutions, such as tiny houses and prefabricated buildings, that already exist and could be deployed at scale. Village-style housing plans for seasonal workers would provide such a model. Safe and secure housing needs a more flexible regulatory framework in which to operate within local planning, with attention given to the factors that drive costs up. In your final pitch to the Benambra electorate, why should they vote for you? Having lived and worked in this electorate for 27 years, I have met many people in distress for different reasons and circumstances and have some awareness of the challenges which they regularly encounter. I recognise their suffering, behind their stoicism and pride. I would not presume to be able to solve all their problems but I would certainly be a fierce advocate to government on their behalf for assistance and improvements to local services. Luke Brady - Australian Greens What would you do to improve the availability of affordable housing for locals and seasonal workers in the region? The Greens will fix the housing and homelessness crisis in Victoria and Benambra by: • Building the social housing we need to eliminate the social housing waiting list: 100,000 homes over 10 years, • Making property developers allocate affordable homes to first home buyers and contribute to the cost of social housing construction through a social housing levy, • Capping rent increases in line with wages growth to prevent out-of-control rent rises, • Increasing the vacant residential property tax and properly regulating the short-stay industry to incentivise long-term leasing, and • Banning political donations from developers and removing their influence from politics. In your final pitch to the Benambra electorate, why should they vote for you? Benambra, your vote is powerful. A vote for the Greens is a vote to fix the housing crisis. It is a vote to take the required action on climate change that will keep our planet healthy and liveable, accelerating our shift to cleaner and cheaper renewable energy while ensuring no worker is left behind by the transition. And it is a vote to restore integrity and accountability to politics because we are all sick of the scandals, secrecy, and corruption. Jacqui Hawkins - Independent What would you do to improve the availability of affordable housing for locals and seasonal workers in the region? I will fight for: • A government commitment to a target for essential housing in Benambra over a rolling 10-year period; • Investment in Beyond Housing and not-for-profit partnerships in delivering community-led solutions for secure, affordable housing; • Planning incentives and investment in integrated housing developments and social and public housing; • Investment in a Wodonga youth foyer to support young people at risk of homelessness; and •Retention of modular housing in the Upper Murray to support future housing needs. In your final pitch to the Benambra electorate, why should they vote for you? As an effective local member, I will work tirelessly for a new hospital on a greenfield site, and to address concerns about costs of living, affordable housing, growing a localised workforce, better roads and transport connections between work, childcare and education. I have developed my policies through consultation with community. The leverage I will have, across party lines, means better outcomes for Benambra. I will always consult with community as this is the most effective way to ensure Benambra benefits. Bill Tilley - Liberal What would you do to improve the availability of affordable housing for locals and seasonal workers in the region? This has many layers - new estates can’t release blocks because North East Water’s program for sewage and water pipes is years overdue, there are planning delays and short stay properties have bought out long-term rentals in our towns. We’ll increase supply by actioning plans that are sitting on the Labor Minister’s desk. That will create 50,000 new housing lots in regional Victoria in the next two years. We’ll also look to apply the same regulations to all accommodation providers, traditional and shorts stays, to level the playing field and hopefully see some short-stay homes return to the long-term rental market. In your final pitch to the Benambra electorate, why should they vote for you? If you want to change the government that locked us down when there was no COVID here, locked people out of Victoria and ignores our health crisis then you must vote Bill Tilley. We’ll build a new hospital on a greenfield site and new fire sheds for Wooragee and Chiltern. I’m proud of what we’ve done these past four years - 12,000 COVID inquiries, funding small schools, helping during fires and the health crisis - I hope to continue that good work. The Advertiser attempted to contact Dean Rossiter (Liberal Democrats), Janelle Stratton (Family First Victoria), Mark Tait (Australian Labor Party,Vic branch) and Adrian O’Brien (Freedom Party of Victoria) on repeated occasions, but failed to get a response from these candidates or their represented parties.

Q&A - 2022 State Election - Benambra Candidates

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