By Ethan Benedicto
Issues from infrastructure to the struggles of small businesses were discussed at Fountain Gate Hotel as the Victorian Shadow Cabinet spoke to local businesses and community groups during the Casey Community Lunch.
A casual event that opened the floors to the community from banter to discussion of topical matters, the majority of the cabinet was present, from the leader of the opposition and of the Liberals John Pesutto to local Berwick MP Brad Battin.
Pesutto addressed the crowd of roughly 50 people who gathered in the hotel’s function room, touching base on the importance of having the cabinet’s boots on the ground and engaging with growing cities like Casey.
The topic of ‘alternatives’ was the main focus, with Pesutto emphasising on “providing balance” to the current State Government’s policies and agendas.
“I love taking the Shadow Cabinet out on the road and we try to do that as often as we can, it’s really important to meet with local community leaders and hear their concerns,” he said.
Members from the Berwick District Woodwork Club, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Syndromes Without A Name (SWAN) and many more were present, all of who were more than eager to speak with the politicians.
Pesutto said Casey was one of the biggest councils in state and it was “growing rapidly”. He said it needed more support.
With family in the City of Casey, he said he understood the importance of proper representation, with Evan Mulholland, the shadow minister for home ownership and housing affordability echoing the sentiment, agreeing that Casey’s challenges needed to be in the spotlight.
“It’s very difficult to get new housing projects off the ground, particularly connecting new suburbs with infrastructure,” Mulholland said.
As for Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) funding, Mulholland said they support a system “where what is collected is spent straight away, so things are built as housing estates are going up, whether that be roundabouts, bus stops, train stations”.
“We need to build infrastructure before or as people move in, not decades after.”
In November 2022, the government faced criticism after it was revealed the GAIC fund had more than $368 million in unallocated funding. At the time, a government spokesperson said, “every dollar of the contribution is spent on providing infrastructure for growing communities – such as schools and ambulance facilities”. The government denied it was not using the contributed funds appropriately, the ABC reported at the time.
For Brad Battin, the process of getting out there isn’t anything new, but it remains an integral process of “hearing what’s happening on the ground”.
“Engaging with groups like Syndromes Without a Name (SWAN), and meeting the children tackling these challenges; these small businesses, the different religious groups and talking about topics like mental health in the justice system has been amazing.”
While not altogether too political herself, Maya from SWAN sees a benefit in having political figures out and engaging with everyone.
“While I’m not too big into politics, it’s nice to be able to get in touch with people who are able to talk about Syndromes Without a Name, people like Brad (Battin) who attend fundraisers and so on,” she said.
Omar Saleem, a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said that it is essential for politicians to have their “boots on the ground”.
“It’s good to get an audience with the Shadow Cabinet, we believe that the status quo has to be settled, has to be challenged,” Saleem said.
Shadow minister for youth Sam Groth sees the importance of youth development and engagement, especially surrounding crime, mental health, and how to foster prosperity and growth.
“It shouldn’t be a bunch of politicians in Spring Street telling young people what to care about, we have to go out and speak to young people in their environment and hear what’s important to them first,” Groth said.
“More than ever young people are getting more and more involved in politics, and their access to information now is much more readily available – and they are the future.”
Charlotte Jones from the Mental Health Legal Centre said that having the chance to speak to the cabinet is significant for residents and locals.
“The City of Casey has a unique set of challenges particularly within the health space, the access to good healthcare is complex down here, as is access to good mental health care,” she said.
“With the expansion of the state’s hospital infrastructure, it’s important that this area and its needs locally are met.”
Also present during the lunch was Akoonah Ward candidate Samuel Dennison and Grevillea Ward candidate John Ternel alongside a number of other shadow cabinet members from Ann-Marie Hermans MP, Emma Kealy MP and David Southwick MP.
