James Newbury,  Member for Brighton

Lauren Sherson, Liberal Candidate for Albert Park

20 September 2022.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will commit $2.5 million towards upgrading the Wattie Watson Pavilion.

The Wattie Watson Oval and Pavilion in Elwood is home to many sporting codes, which are all being played on any given week. The sportsgrounds and Wattie Watson Pavilion is a popular venue for the local community, continuing to grow as a hub for cricket, soccer, and football, as well as a home for other community groups and activities.

Home to the St Kilda City Junior Football Club, a club with 25 teams and a very active membership, the Wattie Watson Pavilion is in urgent need of an upgrade to cater for growing demand, especially for female sports participants. The pavilion change rooms also are not female friendly currently.

Wattie Watson Pavilion is comprised of a gender-neutral central change room and adjacent shower space where males and females share the same area.

With the growing number of female sports participants, girls and women have the right to feel comfortable to be able to change and shower in privacy.

Member for Brighton, James Newbury, said that despite continued advocacy for gender specific change rooms, Council and the Andrews Labor Government have refused to upgrade the facilities.

“Women and girls deserve to have their own change room without having men walking in on them. Too many girls are now resorting to changing in the car. Today’s announcement is a real solution to fix that.”

“This funding commitment from a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will enable female and male sports participants who use Wattie Watson Pavilion to have their own changing rooms, giving them privacy and comfort.”

Liberal Candidate for Albert Park, Lauren Sherson, said this commitment would be welcomed by all members of the sporting clubs, as well the wider local community.

“This upgrade will help continue make Wattie Watson Pavilion one of the premiere sporting facilities in Elwood.”

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

Lauren Sherson, Liberal Candidate for Albert Park

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James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

Bill Tilley, Shadow Minister for Fishing and Boating

19 September 2022.

Victorians walking their dog, taking a swim or wetting their line will be slapped with fines of up to $4000 under the Andrews Labor Government’s new plan to shut off access to more than 50 Victorian parks.

Labor has proposed a set of new extreme laws for Victorians accessing local parkland.

With the current regulations set to expire in March 2023, the new laws would lock land away from the community, introduce heavy-handed fines, and impose a nonsensical permit system.

The new laws will apply to fifty areas of parkland in the country and the city, including places like Albert Park.

One fine equates to $924 for walking off a defined path track – the same someone would pay if driving more than 45km/h over the speed limit.

Other proposed fines include: a $1849 fine for playing sport or engaging in recreational activity without a permit, a $1849 fine for swimming without a permit, a $1849 fine for organising a group of 30 or more to visit without a permit, a $3698 fine for collecting firewood for personal use, and a $3698 fine for interfering with a rock.

This comes on the back of park changes previously outline in Proposed Metropolitan and Regional Parks Regulations, which would ban dogs entirely from several parks.

In an added blow, the Andrews Labor Government will ban all forms of fishing in a number of lakes and rivers right across the state, hooking recreational fishers with a hefty penalty of up to $2000 if caught.

Despite releasing more than 130,000 fish into the Maribyrnong River, Karkarook Park and Albert Park in the past year alone, local children and families will be denied the thrill of their first catch as these waters are closed off completely.

In metropolitan areas, popular local fishing spots at Werribee, Lower Yarra, Maribyrnong and Patterson Rivers are included in the ban, while in regional Victoria, the coastline from Cape Nelson Lighthouse at Portland through Cape Schanck and even Peach Tree Reserve in Gippsland will soon be off limits.

Kerang Park on the Murray River is also listed for change.

Shadow Minister for Environment, James Newbury, said Labor has proposed a loopy set of nanny state laws, which will govern the way the community uses a park.

“The Liberals and Nationals support visitation and engagement with unique natural environments and being jointly invested in protecting the land,” Mr Newbury said.

“Preservation relies on the community being involved and invested in the future of our unique lands.

“We don’t support Labor’s extremism, where a rock will have more rights than you do. The Liberal Party will not allow the draft regulations to proceed in their current form.”

Shadow Minister for Fishing and Boating, Bill Tilley, said banning fishing in park lakes and rivers was senseless, and called on Victorians to write to the new Minister to put a stop to the plans.

“The Andrews Labor Government’s plans to put a stop to families and children fishing in parks is a real slap in the face,” Mr Tilley said.

“You can’t claim to be the recreational fishers’ friend all while planning to ban them from healthy waters filled with fish.

“We should be doing all we can to encourage Victorians to take up fishing, not finding ways to turn them away.”

Bill Tilley, Shadow Minister for Fishing and Boating

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

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‘THE QUEEN’.

Tuesday, 13 September 2022.

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (13:57):

To our new King and his family, it is with a heavy heart that this Parliament and we Members, the voices of our communities, mourn the passing of our great Sovereign and Head of State.

We feel the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally and deeply, right around the world. On behalf of the people of Brighton, Brighton East, Elwood and Hampton, I wish to express my community’s profound condolences.

In the Shakespearean words King Charles III used to describe her reign only hours ago on the floor of Westminster Hall, the reign of his mother has been ‘a pattern to all princes living’.

Never before has the world witnessed a monarch so enduring, so steadfast, so resolute and so committed to duty, a Queen who was served by 15 British Prime Ministers, who welcomed over 110 Presidents and Prime Ministers to the United Kingdom and who had links with over 500 charities.

But as an Australian speaking on behalf of my community, I take the opportunity to recognise the Queen’s unparalleled relationship with our country and the Commonwealth.

The Queen’s relationship with Australia was unique, being the only reigning Monarch to visit our shores. As our great Prime Minister Robert Menzies said of the Queen in his immortal words, ‘I did but see her passing by. And yet I’ll love her till I die’. His words were spoken on behalf of his generation.

As we look back on her first visit and the words spoken by our then Prime Minister, we can see that the Queen’s bond with Australia was ignited then but remained enduring. It was a bond of affection that spanned the seven decades of her reign.

Her Majesty built and maintained her connection to our land across her 16 visits to our country, to Victoria 11 times.

I recall witnessing the Queen speaking fondly of how Australia had grown as a country and a people when she last visited in 2011. As she spoke in our Great Hall in Canberra she said, ‘Australia has flourished and achieved excellence on the world stage’. For those who saw her deliver those words, we knew that they were delivered with great fondness and, if I might be so bold as to say, a sense of pride.

Perhaps at its simplest, the explanation for the depth of mutual feeling between our Sovereign and this country was the Queen’s genuine fondness for our Commonwealth nation, a fondness that extended and endured across 70 years just as it has across the whole Commonwealth, where she visited every nation and realm as their sovereign.

Before being crowned monarch, she said:

… there is none of my father’s subjects from the oldest to the youngest whom I do not wish to greet.

Those were not simply words, but a lifelong commitment borne out in deed.

As Australians we returned her warmth and commitment to our nation when we used the democratic instrument available to us in 1999 to confirm our ongoing link to a Constitutional Monarchy, a link that I supported personally without hesitation and still do.

Shortly after the referendum the Queen spoke of her lifelong warmth for our country on the steps of the great Sydney Opera House, saying:

… since I first stepped ashore here in Sydney in February 1954 I have felt part of this rugged, honest, creative land. I have shared in the joys and the sorrows, the challenges and the changes that have shaped this country’s history …

And further:

… my lasting respect and deep affection for Australia and Australians everywhere will remain as strong as ever. That is what I have come here to say …

Across seven decades we have been assured of that strength of affection—an affection that has always been reciprocated.

The world we live in now is unrecognisable from that of 70 years ago when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne, and yet over that time, despite a changing world, our Constitutional Monarchy has endured. It is a relationship forged into law but one now that is as deeply held together through affection as it is in constitutional formality. Ours is now a relationship that continues by want and by choice.

We mourn the passing of the great Queen Elizabeth II as both our Monarch and our friend, and we affirm ourselves to our new King, our Head of State, a King who has already proven over his lifetime an affinity with our country as deeply held as that of his mother.

May Queen Elizabeth II now rest in peace with her love, her strength and stay.

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James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

Chris Crewther, Liberal Candidate for Mornington

3 October 2022.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will save the decommissioned Kunyung Road reservoir in Mount Eliza, keeping it in public hands and turning it into a vibrant local wetlands and reserve.

Unless acted upon immediately, the local habitat on Kunyung Road, home to many native birds and animals, could be at risk of being lost to private development.

The Liberals and Nationals will retain the reservoir in public hands and deliver $1 million to rehabilitate the wetlands.

Without urgent action, the decommissioned South East Water reservoir could be at risk through urban development, given the process commenced by the State Labor Government that could soon lead to its private sale.

The funding will create an opportunity to enable a permanent protected environmental and wildlife reserve that can be environmentally rehabilitated, maintained on an ongoing basis, and used by the public.

In addition to keeping a thriving habitat alive, the area could be enhanced for visitors through the development of public access tracks.

Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, James Newbury, said the Liberals would step in and protect the area.

“Projects such as this make sense, and without our help, this precious local habitat could be lost forever,” Mr Newbury said.

“By keeping this land in public hands, we can turn the entire precinct into an area to be proud of, while keeping safe the many species of bird and animals that call this place home.”

Liberal Candidate for Mornington, Chris Crewther, said he was proud to have advocated for years with local environmental groups, such as Mount Eliza’s South Eastern Centre for Sustainability, to protect this site and make this commitment a reality.

“This is an important issue on the Mornington Peninsula. A few years ago I also intervened to prevent the site being put up for private sale, and it is fantastic that the Liberals will now support these much-needed measures to ensure the wetlands can thrive for years to come,” Mr Crewther said.

“This site has the potential to be a place locals can be truly proud of and enjoy, and I am excited to be part of a Liberal team that will deliver just that.”

Chris Crewther, Liberal Candidate for Mornington

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

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David Hodgett, Shadow Minister for Education

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

3 October 2022.

Gardenvale Primary School is much more than a place to learn, it is a community.

Due to a lack of State Labor Government funding, the local community has been repeatedly forced to fundraise and upgrade infrastructure on campus.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will recognise this dedication, and provide a $350,000 grant to Gardenvale Primary School to construct an outdoor annex at its junior school campus.

This year, the school will celebrate their 100 year celebrations and unfortunately, some of the school’s infrastructure is still stuck in the last century.

This grant will go a long way in ensuring facilities are brought into the modern era, and provide students and teachers the learning spaces they deserve.

Shadow Minister for Education, David Hodgett, said the commitment formed part of the Liberals and Nationals’ plan for a better education in Victoria.

“Like so many other schools across Victoria, Gardenvale Primary plays an integral role in shaping the future leaders of our state,” Mr Hodgett said.

“Providing outdoor learning spaces is just one way the Liberals and Nationals will deliver better outcomes for the public education system.”

Member for Brighton, James Newbury, said the outdoor annex would be an immense benefit for the students, allowing them to enjoy more outdoor time.

“This commitment is a testament to the Gardenvale Primary School community, who have been active, dedicated and involved in shaping how their school looks and grows,” Mr Newbury said.

“The Liberals are proud to deliver a $350,000 grant for Gardenvale Primary to provide better learning spaces for the more than 650 students enrolled there.”

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

David Hodgett, Shadow Minister for Education

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James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

Phillip Pease, Liberal Candidate for Mordialloc

5 October 2022.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will invest $10 million towards the dredging of Mordialloc Creek and cleaning up Port Phillip Bay.

The health of the creek has significantly deteriorated under the Andrews Labor Government, with its last dredging back in 2012 under the Baillieu Government.

The frustrated community is campaigning fiercely, after years of being led on by the government, which has continuously claimed the funding would be made available – yet has nothing to show for it.

As part of the Liberals and Nationals’ commitment, the establishment of a properly constituted Committee of Management will ensure a coordinated and informed approach to the ongoing management of this unique and important resource.

Shadow Minister for Environment, James Newbury, said the Andrews Labor Government has not only failed the community, but failed the health of the waterway and wider Port Phillip Bay.

“Over the past decade, Labor has abandoned Mordialloc Creek, which is now clogged, and thick with muck.”

“The creek feeds directly into Port Phillip Bay, and all that sludge and sediment is constantly disturbed, washing into the bay and onto our beaches.”

“Only the Liberals and Nationals will step in and help keep Victoria’s waterways clean.”

Liberal Candidate for Mordialloc, Phillip Pease, said local residents had been let down under the current Andrews Labor Government.

“I have worked closely with the Mordialloc Creek community, the boating community, collected signatures on my online petition and advocated for this funding – because it’s the right thing to do. This is about protecting the health of the environment and our community.”

“This announcement further highlights that only a Liberals and Nationals Government is committed to fixing, preserving and enhancing this wonderful community asset.”

Phillip Pease, Liberal Candidate for Mordialloc

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

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David Hodgett, Shadow Minister for Education

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

21 October 2022.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will commit a much needed $250,000 towards Elwood Primary School to upgrade the junior outdoor play areas of the school.

Elwood Primary School, currently home to almost 760 students, is much-loved in the local community. It is also a community school in the truest sense, providing a wonderful education for local children and accessible open access spaces for the wider Elwood community.

Outdoor play spaces are incredibly important for primary aged children and these spaces need to be safe and fun. Elwood Primary has been asking the State Government for funding to upgrade their outdoor areas and to fix ground cover and play equipment in order to ensure a safe playing space. Unfortunately, the funding has never been provided.

Shadow Minister for Education, David Hodgett, said this commitment would transform the existing space and provide a positive learning environment.

“Only a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will see the community get this much-needed upgrade at Elwood Primary School.”

Member for Brighton, James Newbury, said a Liberals and Nationals Government will made Elwood Primary’s dreams a reality.

“This wonderful community school deserves to ensure the safety of its children at playtimes in its outdoor spaces. The lack of required funding from Labor has meant that children are running on uneven ground and playing on playground equipment that needs an upgrade. This needs to change.”

“Under the Liberals and Nationals, Elwood Primary will receive much needed funding for new ground cover and replace playground equipment. The Elwood Community deserves better, and we will ensure that our community and especially children have safe and fun outdoor areas.”

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

David Hodgett, Shadow Minister for Education

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Matt Guy, Leader of the Opposition

David Southwick, Shadow Minister for Energy and Renewables

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

24 October 2022.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will pause the Electric Vehicle Tax and establish 600 new charging stations across the state as part of our Long-Term Economic Plan for Victoria.

We want to reward hard-working Victorian families, and by reducing the barriers in getting an electric vehicle we can save more drivers the hip-pocket pain at the petrol bowser.

The Liberals and Nationals will pause Labor’s new Electric Vehicle Tax until 2027, in line with New South Wales, to encourage more people to purchase an electric vehicle and save drivers the tax-hit they face for every kilometre they drive under Daniel Andrews’ Labor.

The pause will save electric vehicle and hydrogen vehicle drivers 2.6c per kilometre, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle drivers 2.1c per kilometre. This means, an electric vehicle driver in Melbourne with a 40 kilometre return commute each day could save around $380 a year, while a plug-in hybrid driver could save over $300.

We will also establish a new $50 million Community Charging Fund to leverage co-investment with businesses and community organisations including councils to install 600 new charging stations across Victoria. This co-investment could bring the total investment in new charging stations to $100 million.

By increasing the availability of charging stations we will remove one of the barriers that stop people from buying an electric vehicle, unlocking the hip-pocket savings and emissions reductions.

Only the Liberals and Nationals have a Long-Term Economic Plan for Victoria. Under the plan, we will control debt and stop wasteful spending, cut taxes, support small businesses, reward hard-working families, and boost home ownership.

Leader of the Liberal Party, Matt Guy, said cutting taxes, like Daniel Andrews’ Electric Vehicle Tax, was part of the Liberals and Nationals’ Long-Term Economic Plan.

“We can afford to make this modest tax cut and investment in charging stations because we will put an end to Daniel Andrews’ era of spiralling debt and higher taxes,” Matt Guy said.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, David Southwick, said extra charging stations would make a significant difference, particularly for those Victorians looking to switch to an electric vehicle.

“By rolling out an extra 600 charging stations across the state, we will boost charging access and reduce the barriers to entering the electric vehicle market,” David Southwick said.

“The more electric vehicles we have on our roads, the more Victorians can save on spiralling fuel costs and we can achieve our emissions reductions targets.”

Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, James Newbury, said more electric vehicles would help to achieve the Liberals and Nationals’ emissions reductions targets.

“Only the Liberals and Nationals have a legislated target of a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, and the announcement today will help to achieve this.”

These transport savings are the latest in a suite of policies to reward hard-working Victorians with the cost of getting around, including cutting the uber and taxi tax to save passengers more than $1 on every trip, our $2 flat fares for local train, tram and bus travel, halving of all V/Line fares and plans for a new Fuel Watch App that can save Victorians $800 a year.

The modest and responsible Electric Vehicle Tax pause will cost $82.2 million over the next four years, and the Community Charging Fund will cost $50 million over the next four years.

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

David Southwick, Shadow Minister for Energy and Renewables

Matt Guy, Leader of the Opposition

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Cindy McLeish, Shadow Minister for Sport

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

25 October 2022.

A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will commit $2 million towards the redevelopment of the pavilion and change rooms at Brighton Beach Oval.

Brighton Beach Oval Pavilion is home to three significant sporting clubs including Brighton Cricket Club, Brighton Beach Junior Football Club and Old Brighton Grammarian Football Club and is regularly used by the local community for events.

Brighton Beach Oval Pavilion is in disrepair, and requires immediate upgrades as no upgrades have been made in over 50 years. Local sporting clubs, local families and the entire local community deserves better.

Clubs and teams continue to grow and with the increase in female teams and additional playing numbers, the need for improved facilities and maximisation of space is greater than ever.

Consultations between council, sporting clubs and the local community have been ongoing for over six years with no progress made to upgrade this very old pavilion.

Shadow Minister for Sport, Cindy McLeish, said the Liberals and Nationals are focused on meeting the needs of the community by delivering better local suburban infrastructure.

“Local sporting clubs are a vital part of the community and we are proud to support grassroots sport with this commitment.”

Member for Brighton, James Newbury, said the pavilion upgrade has been delayed for too long and the commitment is an enormous win for the community.

“For teams, friends and family associated with local Clubs as well as the local community, the continual delays to the pavilion upgrades come as particularly hard-felt blow, they feel let down. This is an unacceptable situation and a huge setback to local clubs and community.”

“This funding commitment from a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will finally enable local clubs and the local community to have it sporting pavilion that meet their growing needs, is suitable for both female and male players and for the 21st century.”

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

Cindy McLeish, Shadow Minister for Sport

The post Joint Statement – Bigger and better upgrades for grassroots sport in Brighton appeared first on James Newbury.

Ryan Smith, Shadow Minister for Planning and Heritage

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

Brad Rowswell, Member for Sandringham

26 October 2022.

Residents in the electorates of Brighton and Sandringham will have greater certainty that the unique character of their neighbourhoods will be protected under a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government.

Over the past eight years, Labor has ignored the concerns of these communities who value the neighbourhood character of their streets.

Worst of all, Labor gutted the intent of the previous Liberals and Nationals’ Neighbourhood Residential Zones, by removing height and density limits, against community wishes.

Victoria’s built heritage is also at risk under Labor, whose policy of 70 percent of new development occurring in established areas has resulted in developers buying up local, older properties as redevelopment sites.

Such prioritisation of development over the preservation of neighbourhood character has been regrettable and entirely preventable. Although more affordable housing is needed, some developments have not achieved that, and are instead ruining local liveability, neighbourhood character and our environment.

That’s why, within our first 100 days, a Liberals and Nationals Government will implement comprehensive planning protections that gets the balance right and gives everyone certainty.

A Liberal Government will re-instate the Neighbourhood Residential Zone protections in Bayside and Kingston to preserve their local character and amenity.

The features of these new Neighbourhood Residential Zones (NRZ) will include:

• A mechanism which respects identified neighbourhood character.
• A requirement for the preservation of existing tree canopy.
• A two-dwelling maximum on a titled site.
• A mandatory height limit of 8 metres (2 storeys) for residential buildings, with the ability for a council to specify a mandatory height limit in a schedule to a zone to take account of existing built form.

Shadow Minister for Planning and Heritage, Ryan Smith, said only the Liberals and Nationals would preserve the character and amenity of Melbourne’s suburbs.

“Under a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government, we’ll oppose inappropriate development and are committed to protect liveability, heritage, and neighbourhood character.

Liberal Member for Brighton, James Newbury, said we need to put the brakes on inappropriate development, because we have the right to a quiet street.

“Sadly, Hampton has been targeted as a hotspot for densification, developers are eyeing off the once-quiet streets of Brighton, and Elwood is overwhelmed with planning applications aiming to build apartment blocks on every square inch of space. The Liberal Party will protect our suburbs from Labor.”

Liberal Member for Sandringham, Brad Rowswell, said it was essential that neighbourhood character in Bayside and Kingston be protected.

“My community’s neighbourhood character is defined by its magnificent coastline, tree lined streets, parks, nature reserves and low density low-rise homes. Where Victorian Labor are encouraging high-density, high-rise in local streets, I am committed to preserving our neighbourhood character for this generation and the next.”

Brad Rowswell, Member for Sandringham

James Newbury, Member for Brighton

Ryan Smith, Shadow Minister for Planning and Heritage

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