Shelley Payne ends term as WA Labor MLC
It's been an honour to serve you as a member for the Agricultural Region during the last four years.
It's been a busy job, but one I've thoroughly enjoyed.
It was with great pride that I was able to establish the first WA Labor electorate office in Esperance in more than 30 years when former Premier Mark McGowan officially opened my office in 2021.
I'm grateful to have met so many wonderful and hardworking people across our electorate during this time, listening to your concerns, and advocating for the needs of the many communities across the region.
I am thankful to the many volunteers I've met that keep our communities safe and keep all our community groups running.
Without you all, our communities wouldn't be what they are.
As one of the few women to have had the pleasure of representing this region, it has been an absolute privilege to advocate for women, seniors, our First Nations people and those doing it tough.
Our grant funding has supported many local sports clubs including new night lights at Esperance and Ports football clubs, Beach Volleyball Club and Esperance Kart Club.
I'm excited to see there is new funding on the way for artificial turf at the hockey club.
Our State-run Lotterywest has been a great help with funding for infrastructure upgrades at Esperance Goldfields Surf Lifesaving Club, funding to help Esperance Civic Centre bring more shows to town, and funding to help Esperance Care Services, Esperance Crisis Accommodation, Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Esperance Mechanical Restoration Group and many more.
We've seen some wonderful new bike paths constructed across town, in partnership with the Shire of Esperance, thanks to the WA Bicycle Network Grants Program.
Other local infrastructure projects that I was happy to see completed were the new Tafe building and the new jetty at Bandy Creek.
I'm looking forward to the completion of the new Taylor Street jetty.
It's been great to see the benefits of our Regional Economic Development grants awarded to local businesses to help with our booming tourism industry, such as Lucky Bay Brewery, Esperance Distillery and Bread Local.
We've also helped local businesses such as Esperance Smash Repairs, Bedford Harbour Engineering, and Drake-Brockman Building and Construction.
Our animal welfare grants have helped Lori-Ann and Colin to set up the new Esperance Wildlife Hospital, and Lynn at Roo Haven.
It has been fantastic to see the implementation our nation-leading Plan for Plastics aimed at removing single-use plastics.
We've also seen the implementation of our Containers for Change program which has saved more than three billion containers from landfill, with more than $12 million donated to schools, charities and community groups.
I've done lots of driving across Esperance, the Great Southern and the Wheatbelt during the past four years, and had many trips to Perth for parliamentary sittings.
Being on the road a lot, I am so thankful we've been able to invest more than $1 billion into regional road safety upgrades, with more than 10,000km completed already.
This investment has been crucial to making our regional roads safer.
We've seen the installation of four new electric vehicle chargers in town thanks to our State Government-run entity Horizon Power, and the completion of our EV Network, Australia's longest EV network.
I've been delighted to see local residents experience the benefits of the introduction of the Regional Airfares Cap helping to connect those in the regions to Perth.
We've also delivered a new Esperance bus service and reduced the prices of TransWA bus fares.
Please use the local bus service so we can keep it operating. It is free for seniors with a seniors card.
Attending medical appointments in the city is costly and it has been so good to see more Patient Assisted Travel Scheme funding, with increases to the overnight accommodation rate and per kilometre travel rebate.
We've helped out seniors with the $400 Seniors' Safety and Security Rebate and we've announced our second increase to the Regional Pensioner Travel card — to $775 on July 1.
I was pleased to be able to distribute an Esperance Seniors Directory to every senior in Esperance.
We've delivered $2100 in electricity rebates to every household. I know this has made a big difference to help with the cost of living.
We all know how expensive it is to keep up with school expenses, so I'm happy to see that we are delivering the second round of the Student Assistance Payment, giving another $150 to every kindy or pre-primary school student and $250 to primary and secondary school students.
Along with the Country Week Assistance payment of $500 for Esperance students, this extra funding should really help.
I look forward to the work that will soon get under way for planning of the new Esperance Senior High School.
Further supporting those in need, we've delivered the rent relief program, slashed stamp duty for first-homebuyers, and expanded the school breakfast program to five days a week, in partnership with Foodbank.
We've also invested significantly in support for mental health and domestic violence prevention.
Our Government has achieved a lot this past term, making the biggest investment into regional WA than any other government in history.
We've achieved a lot in Parliament, too, passing more than 140 pieces of legislation during the term, including making important legislative changes to modernise our abortion laws.
With WA Labor elected for a third term, we are able to continue some of our great work supporting communities across WA.
Particularly, I am pleased we can continue our investment into regional road safety upgrades, and continue the regional airfares cap, helping to connect regional people to the city.
I wish everyone and their families all the best and look forward to seeing you around town.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Perth Now
Fast-track laws for AFL stadium appear punted
Plans to fast-track the approval process for a new $945 million stadium in Tasmania appear dead in the water because of delays caused by the state's snap election. Both the incumbent Liberals and Labor opposition are courting crossbench support after falling short of the 18-seats required for majority at Saturday's election. Four independents who hold the balance of power have said they won't be rushed on negotiations, with the final make-up of parliament likely not settled until August 2. The poll, which was called in June when Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a vote of no-confidence, delayed legislation designed to fast-track the stadium's approval. Building a 23,000-seat roofed venue at Macquarie Point in Hobart is a condition of the Devils' AFL side entering the league in 2028. Tasmania faces financial penalties if the project doesn't meet construction timelines and if the stadium isn't ready for the club's second season in 2029. The incumbent Liberal government wanted to bring forward legislation to fast-track its approval, overriding the existing project of state significance (POSS) assessment process. The POSS process, which has held public hearings in recent weeks, has continued and will provide a final report on September 17. Mr Rockliff has indicated the fast-track legislation won't be pursued, given parliament may not return until September. "We put the enabling legislation forward because of particular timeframes," he told ABC radio on Thursday. "But expectations are the timelines are now roughly the same in terms of enabling legislation and the POSS process." Labor leader Dean Winter, whose party supports the stadium and said it would vote for the fast-track legislation, said he now wanted to see the project go through the POSS process. "It's clear there is no advantage, in terms of timeline, of the direct legislation," he told reporters. "The POSS has more certainty and is more likely to be supported in the Legislative Council." The stadium must pass a parliamentary vote under the POSS process to be approved. The stadium is supported by the Liberals - who have so far won 14 of 35 lower-house seats after the election - as well as Labor, who have claimed 10. But it faces a trickier passage through the Legislative Council where the major parties don't hold the numbers. Counting to determine the final two undecided election seats continues, with preference distribution expected to begin on Tuesday. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter, who must obtain the support of the Greens to govern, are negotiating with a crossbench which is mostly opposed to the stadium. The Greens, who hold five seats, are against, as are independents Kristie Johnston, Craig Garland and Peter George. Independent David O'Byrne backs the stadium. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter have said the stadium is not up for negotiation. Mr Winter reiterated Mr Rockliff would get "first crack" at governing, but Labor didn't want Tasmania forced back to another election if the Liberals couldn't. "In the event he can't secure 18 votes on the floor of the house there is going to need to be people working across the parliament together," Mr Winter said. Mr O'Byrne said the raw numbers on the floor would dictate how easy it would be for either major party to form government. He also said he was open to a Liberal or Labor government. Ms Johnston, Mr Garland and Mr George said formal negotiations won't begin until after the final election results have been decided, saying neither major party has a mandate to govern. "For that reason, like other cross bench members, we will be speaking to both major parties about confidence and supply," the trio said in a statement.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
QUT race debate not antisemitic, despite damaging fallout: review
A review into a satirical race debate at the Queensland University of Technology that sparked media outrage has cast a shadow over the future of one of the university's specialist research institutes. The review was commissioned in February to look into the anti-racism event organised by the Carumba Institute, which focuses on First Nations research and education at QUT's two Brisbane campuses. Under its six recommendations, released on Wednesday, the university's governing council was urged to 'consider and define the role and function and the leadership' of the institute, and more closely supervise its public events. The institute's January symposium on anti-racist research made headlines after one audience member leaked recordings and presentation slides from the satirical 'Greatest Race Debate'. While on stage, writer and artist Lorna Munro, a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, showed slides calling on the audience to 'throat punch a racist'. Loading Jewish Council of Australia chair Sarah Schwartz presented a checklist of characteristics that she said were being used to weaponise Jewish identity by political leaders, in a slide headlined 'Dutton's Jew'. The review found these slides and the speakers' remarks were not antisemitic or offensive 'to those actually present', and should be considered within the full context of the event. It found Munro's presentation, 'while provocative in tone, was clearly satirical in nature', while Schwartz's was intended as a criticism of certain political leaders, and not Jewish people themselves.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
QUT race debate not antisemitic, despite damaging fallout: review
A review into a satirical race debate at the Queensland University of Technology that sparked media outrage has cast a shadow over the future of one of the university's specialist research institutes. The review was commissioned in February to look into the anti-racism event organised by the Carumba Institute, which focuses on First Nations research and education at QUT's two Brisbane campuses. Under its six recommendations, released on Wednesday, the university's governing council was urged to 'consider and define the role and function and the leadership' of the institute, and more closely supervise its public events. The institute's January symposium on anti-racist research made headlines after one audience member leaked recordings and presentation slides from the satirical 'Greatest Race Debate'. While on stage, writer and artist Lorna Munro, a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, showed slides calling on the audience to 'throat punch a racist'. Loading Jewish Council of Australia chair Sarah Schwartz presented a checklist of characteristics that she said were being used to weaponise Jewish identity by political leaders, in a slide headlined 'Dutton's Jew'. The review found these slides and the speakers' remarks were not antisemitic or offensive 'to those actually present', and should be considered within the full context of the event. It found Munro's presentation, 'while provocative in tone, was clearly satirical in nature', while Schwartz's was intended as a criticism of certain political leaders, and not Jewish people themselves.
