Support for Treaty

I am excited and indeed proud that a treaty for Victoria between the state government and First Nations has now passed Parliament.

For mine, Treaty will recognise First Nations as the first and enduring Victorians, and their advice to government of indigenous issues of country, education, and health will be of value to all Victorians.

It’s a time of recognition, of healing, and moving forward into a more collaborative future.

Not so the state coalition - to a member, they opposed the Bill; to a member, they turned their collective backs on a different way of doing business.

To a member, they are still treading the water of the referendum when Australia had so clearly moved on with the thumping federal Labor election victory last year.

Opposition for the sake of opposition? Not good enough.

Officially, not one Liberal or National MP saw merit in Treaty.

Not one could stand up and provide leadership and offer bipartisan support.

The Member for Euroa attended NAIDOC in Seymour, but went missing in action.

We are not that different as Victorians to be so black and white - life is more nuanced, and our future need not be shackled by our past.

Not good enough.

With Treaty, let's embrace this opportunity, and provide leadership for Victoria, and indeed leadership for Australia.

Peter Lockyer, Seymour

Not shutting up on our watch

With unwavering commitment to advocacy and community safety, we write with serious concern regarding Inland Rail’s proposals for the Frost Street Pedestrian Underpass.

A decision appears imminent, potentially confirming its temporary nature and yet - alarmingly - no community consultation has occurred.

Instead, we anticipate a unilateral announcement after the fact.

This echoes the same arbitrary descoping of works that blindsided our town before.

We are not passive recipients of decisions made in isolation.

We are active, informed, and deeply invested in the dignity, safety, and accessibility of Euroa.

To our councilors: where are you in all this? Are you representing your community behind closed doors and/or with transparency, courage, and open dialogue?

We always had an underpass.

Whether by design or deception, we now risk losing any promised future access.

The community was never consulted, not now, nor before the inducement that led council to accept the scope change.

The Frost Street pedestrian underpass was always in scope, but somewhere along the way, the people part was traded and trashed.

The train line runs through our town, yet the community has been sidelined and disenfranchised in a deal that broke promises from both Inland Rail and council.

One is elected by the people; the other serves under federal oversight; both must be accountable.

So far we have in good faith conducted ourselves with respect through open dialogue, expressing our deep concern for the permanency of council's and Inland Rail's uninformed decision-making.

However, we will not stop until the Frost Street pedestrian underpass is reinstated permanently.

So yes, you may have gathered: we won’t be shutting up anytime soon.

Vanessa Williams, Katie Williams, Neil Brown, and Colleen Furlanetto

Frost Street Pedestrian Underpass 883 Advocacy Group