From the Chair - June 2025

The first half of 2025 has been busy for One Gippsland with multiple delegations to Canberra and Melbourne as we prepared to make the case for our region in the federal election and the state and federal budgets.

During this busy period, Gippsland secured two important government commitments. The first, to legislate the expansion of the universal service framework to include mobile coverage. The second, $3 million to plan for improvements to the Drouin and Warragul Arterial Road Network.

At the state level, One Gippsland has engaged with the government and opposition decision makers on issues of importance to our region, including offshore wind, housing and infrastructure investment. 

I also presented at the Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee’s inquiry into the supply of homes in regional Victoria, at which I made the case for better planning and enabling funds to get more houses built in our region. More detail here.

The State Budget in May included funding for road maintenance, schools, health and more train services for the Gippsland line.  You can read more in our state budget statement.

One Gippsland will continue to head to our nation’s capital and Spring Street to advocate strongly for the government investment our region needs in education, roads, ports, digital and telecommunications, and tourism.

We have a planning day scheduled in August at which we will consider our advocacy strategy as we work with the re-elected Albanese Government, and as Victoria heads towards a state election in November next year.

With the federal election now resolved, I want to take this opportunity to again congratulate the Hon Darren Chester, who was re-elected as the Federal Member for Gippsland and is now the Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs. I also congratulate Mary Aldred, who was elected to represent the seat of Monash. Our region also thanks former Member for Monash Russell Broadbent for his extensive work over a 25-year career representing his constituents in the federal parliament.

Regards

Cr Nathan Hersey

Chair, One Gippsland.