Wannon independent candidate Alex Dyson outlines his vision for Wannon.
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00:00My name is Alex Dyson, independent candidate for Wannan.
00:11When it comes to tackling the roads in Wannan, I really want to make sure we're finally getting
00:18our fair share of roads funding. That comes through transparency of where the funds are
00:23going. We've seen Melbourne get 20 times the funding of regional areas, so we want to fix
00:31that up. And also push for a new bill, which is the right to safe roads. So many of our
00:37roads in our area are rated one star out of five for safety, and ensuring that by 2030
00:42that's raised up to at least a three-star level is really crucial.
00:47When it comes to cost of living pressures, you've really got to get to the core of what's happening
00:53in consultation with lots of farmers and families. We know it's not on the farm end with the
00:57prices that they're getting for their goods. We certainly know it's not on the consumer
01:00end who roll into the grocery store and see the prices there. We do see in the middle though
01:05of the major supermarkets getting billions in profits, and there's a place there to make
01:09sure that the price gouging and the tactics used there are no longer going in the wrong
01:14direction, and they adhere to a code of conduct to make sure that Australian families or farmers
01:18are not getting ripped off. But that also comes down to energy prices as well, which is
01:23really struggling for people. So improving the cost of energy for people, going with cheaper
01:27options, and employing subsidies and zero interest loans for farmers to get energy independence,
01:33because we know that's one of the big bills when it comes to farmers. So making sure farmers
01:37are taken care of, because we know when farmers are doing well, communities around them are
01:41doing well as well.
01:43When it comes to aged care, we really need to be listening to local providers and providing
01:47better funding and more nuanced funding for different options. We know it's very expensive in
01:52that acute aged care area, so finding options for smaller communities so people, as they
01:57age, can stay closer to home, can stay in home, and making sure that they have a really great
02:02and dignified later period of life. So I'll be listening to locals like Jane, who we had recently,
02:08a real expert in aged care, talking to people like herself and making sure that these people
02:14who have paid tax their entire life are looked after in their twilight years.
02:19When it comes to the proposed offshore wind farm, I'm the candidate who is going for greater
02:24community consultation and a better deal for our area when it comes to the projects, which
02:30we do a lot of heavy lifting here. I'm really disappointed with the flip-flopping when it comes
02:34to those. We saw the Liberal Party with great fanfare announce that they're going to be making
02:38offshore wind zones. They've now flip-flopped and say that they're against it. Labor seem
02:42to be going for it without listening to the voices in the community who are against it
02:47and should be consulted with when making big decisions like this. So I'm pushing forward
02:52for the consultation process over the next couple of years, letting the environmental surveys
02:56being done to make sure that we're not doing anything to harm the environment, but we do
03:00have the opportunity to get cheaper power for people and making sure a better deal for our
03:04area. But I certainly won't be supporting it if those things are failed and the community
03:09are fully against it.