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BAIRNSDALE GLCH CLINIC WORKS COMMENCE
Works have commenced on a major upgrade at the Gippsland Lakes Community Health Bairnsdale site. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is pictured with Len Chapman and Patrick Carson from Slap Architects, GLCH CEO Sue Medson and Rob Soulsby and Chris Banks from...
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CALENDAR ENTRIES CLOSE OCTOBER 5
Time is running out for budding photographers to submit photographs for Darren Chester’s annual #lovegippsland calendar. The Nationals Member for Gippsland has announced this year’s theme is ‘Four Seasons’ encouraging photographers to showcase Gippsland’s natural...
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CHESTER WELCOMES FARM HOUSEHOLD ALLOWANCE REVIEW
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has welcomed the beginning of a review to ensure farmers experiencing drought were well supported. The Agriculture Minister David Littleproud this week announced the start of a review of the Farm Household Allowance...
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TRAVEL SAFE DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has urged locals and visitors travelling the region to stay safe on Gippsland’s roads during the upcoming school holiday break, as roadworks continue across the region. While the new roundabout in Cann River is open to...
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INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says he is working with all levels of government and the community to see new investment in tourism infrastructure and help the Lakes Entrance economy to grow. Mr Chester said he was working with his Parliamentary...
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PICTURE PERFECT
Budding photographers have just two weeks to submit their photographs for a chance to be included in The Nationals MP Darren Chester’s annual #lovegippsland calendar. The theme for the 2019 calendar competition is ‘Four Seasons’ to showcase Gippsland’s natural beauty...
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HOLIDAY LOCALLY AND CREATE LOCAL JOBS
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is encouraging locals to explore Gippsland during these school holidays and help create more local jobs. Mr Chester said one of the best ways to support local towns and small communities was to take a break within...
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APPLY NOW FOR UP TO $1 MILLION FROM SAFER COMMUNITIES FUND
Local councils and community organisations across Gippsland can apply now for up to $1 million to tackle crime and anti-social behavior in their area. The money is available through the Federal Government’s Safer Communities Fund as part of its commitment to keep...
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GIPPSLAND PLAINS RAIL TRAIL
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is working with the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail Committee to secure funding for improvements to the rail trail between Traralgon and Stratford. Mr Chester said the rail trail boasted train access at both Traralgon and...
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CHESTER VISITS ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL
HYDRO AUSTRALIA
Hydro Australia is a local success story and a timely reminder that the Latrobe Valley is a great place to open your own business. Hydro Australia commenced in 1998 as a pump aftermarket service centre and is now a division of Hydro Inc, the largest independent pump...
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ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE
Federal MP Darren Chester says he is confident the majority of Gippsland aged care providers are doing the right thing by older Australians but he has welcomed the Royal Commission into the Aged Care Sector. The Federal Government has announced a Royal Commission to...
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FREEDOM HOUSING PROJECT OFFICIALLY OPENED IN SALE
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester today officially opened an innovative new $2.4 million housing development designed for families and their dependents needing disability support. George Gray Centre has led the Freedom Housing project, which comprises...
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MORWELL CBD REVITALISATION WORKS TO START
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has welcomed confirmation of the final $1 million to allow works to commence in the Morwell town centre. Mr Chester said the Federal Government was providing $2 million toward the Morwell CBD revitalisation project,...
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ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2018 ANZAC DAY SCHOOLS’ AWARDS COMPETITION WINNERS
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has announced Bairnsdale’s Nagle College as state runner-up in the secondary school category of this year’s Anzac Day Schools’ Awards. Mr Chester said Nagle College would receive $500 and a...
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NEW NURSES GRADUATE IN SALE
Newly accredited nurses celebrated their graduation at a ceremony hosted by Partners in Training in Sale. Most of the 40 have already found employment, after completing two years part-time study. They have undertaken placements within Gippsland and across the state,...
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PAYMENT INCREASE FOR GIPPSLAND PENSIONERS
Gippsland pensioners and allowance recipients will receive an increase to their payments from September 20. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said pension payments including Age Pension and Disability Support Pension will rise by $8.70 a fortnight to...
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CHARTING A PLAN FORWARD FOR LAKES ENTRANCE
The need for a positive and optimistic attitude in Lakes Entrance and more government investment in infrastructure and tourism promotion were key themes at a forum hosted on Sunday by Federal MP Darren Chester. Mr Chester convened the meeting at the request of several...
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RURAL MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS
Federal MP Darren Chester has congratulated Gippsland Rotarians for providing scholarship funding to local medical students. Speaking at a Rotary Club of Sale dinner in Maffra this week, Mr Chester highlighted the need for more regional students to have a pathway for...
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ASH HEYFIELD TAKES THE LEAD IN TIMBER COMPONENT MANUFACTURING
Heyfield-based Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) has expanded its manufacturing capability and is now the largest timber component manufacturer in Australia. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester visited ASH to discuss key issues of concern affecting the...
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TEN-YEAR INVESTMENT PLAN FOR PRINCES HIGHWAY CORRIDOR
Work has begun on a plan to prioritise infrastructure spending along the length of the Princes Highway from Sydney to Adelaide via Gippsland. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the Princes Highway Corridor Strategy would develop a single...
read moreCCTV UPGRADE DELIVERS SAFER MORWELL STREETS
Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed in Morwell’s central business district to support local business. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Australian Government...
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ENTRIES OPEN FOR 2019 #LOVEGIPPSLAND CALENDAR COMPETITION
Amateur photographers can help promote the #lovegippsland message by submitting photographs showcasing our region’s natural beauty for Darren Chester’s annual calendar. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has today launched this year’s calendar...
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INVESTING IN BROWN COAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Coalition Government continues to focus on harnessing the economic benefits that can come from the nation’s vast brown coal resources by making $1 million in funding available to Brown Coal Innovation Australia (BCIA). BCIA will use the funding to focus on...
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NEW, SAFER ROUNDABOUT COMPLETED IN ROSEDALE
A $2 million upgrade of the Rosedale roundabout to improve road safety on the Princes Highway is now finished. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said approaches to the roundabout had been reworked after a series of accidents near the Rosedale Hotel to...
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FENNING TIMBERS BAIRNSDALE
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester met with the management team at Fenning Timbers in Bairnsdale to discuss key issues of concern affecting the local business and the timber industry more broadly. Mr Chester said Fenning Timbers was a key employer for the...
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FUNDING FOR MEMORIAL HALL WELCOMED
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has welcomed funding of almost $500,000 to upgrade Sale Memorial Hall. Mr Chester said the hall was one of the most iconic in Gippsland and one of the few capable of holding more than 500 people. “Sale Memorial Hall has...
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COMMONWEALTH FISHERIES OFFICE IN LAKES ENTRANCE
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has officially opened the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) offices today in Lakes Entrance. The offices are located in the Federation Training building on Bullock Island. Mr Chester used the opportunity to...
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MEDIA STATEMENT FROM DARREN CHESTER, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GIPPSLAND
After a tumultuous week, it is critical we unite and focus on the issues that matter to all Australians, particularly in regional areas like Gippsland. Australians deserve strong and stable leadership. I am honoured to continue in the roles of Minister for Veterans’...
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$2.9 MILLION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN EAST GIPPSLAND
East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority will receive almost $2.9 million over five years for environmental and agricultural projects. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) was among the...
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SALE’S NEWEST SPORTING FACILITY NEARLY FINISHED
Work on the new synthetic hockey field and pavilion at the Gippsland Regional Sports Complex in Sale is nearing an end. The pavilion’s external doors and windows have been installed and the cabinetry is being fitted inside, with the one of the main features - the...
read moreSTATEMENT FROM FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GIPPSLAND DARREN CHESTER
I am bitterly disappointed with the events at Parliament House this week. Australians deserve better than the behaviour they’ve witnessed in Federal Parliament by both sides of politics over the past 10 years. Out of respect for the Office of the Prime Minister and...
read moreFURTHER ASSISTANCE FOR LOCAL SHIRES IN DROUGHT
East Gippsland and Wellington shires have been named among 60 regions nationally to receive new funding from the Drought Communities Program as part of a suite of further drought support measures announced by the Federal Government. The Nationals Member for Gippsland...
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WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSE NEEDED FOR DROUGHT
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has called for a whole of government response to assist Gippsland farmers in drought. Mr Chester has written to the Prime Minister advocating for all Ministers with a portfolio capacity to respond to the drought and...
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TRARALGON REMEMBERS WORLD WAR ONE NURSES
A new memorial will honour the service and sacrifice of nurses from the Traralgon area who served during World War One. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has announced Traralgon Public Cemetery Fund will receive more than $4100 to remember the nurses....
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$40 MILLION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR GIPPSLAND
Local shires will this week receive a further $5 million from the Federal Government to spend on local roads, services and infrastructure. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the payment was part of Gippsland’s annual allocation of $40 million made...
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AVON RIVER RAIL BRIDGE
The Avon River rail bridge is part of a $530 million Gippsland Rail Line upgrade announced by Mr Chester when he was Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Mr Chester was able to secure the funding as part of an historic announcement, being the first time the...
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PROVIDING JOBS AND TRAINING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
A key employer in the region, David Lucke’s Fresh Food Market is providing important employment and training opportunities for young people. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester visited recently to learn more about the growth of the business and met Peter...
read moreOFFSHORE REGULATOR ASKED TO REAPPRAISE SEISMIC SURVEY
French company’s plans to undertake a massive seismic survey over 17,000 square kilometres of Eastern Bass Strait has concerned local MP’s Tim Bull and Darren Chester and attracted criticism from the local fishing industry. Nationals Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, has...
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WORK ON TRARALGON-MORWELL PATHWAY REACHES KAY STREET
Construction of a 10-kilometre shared cycling and pedestrian pathway linking Traralgon and Morwell is now underway in Traralgon. Morwell’s ACE Earthmoving is undertaking the works at the top end of Kay Street. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester...
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CHURCHILL’S NEW HOCKEY PAVILION ALMOST READY
The much-anticipated Churchill hockey pavilion is nearing completion with the roof cladding now finished. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester announced $200,000 from the Federal Government to fund the new clubrooms. “The external wall cladding is now underway...
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MORWELL REMEMBERS THE END OF THE GREAT WAR
A commemorative brass plaque will be installed by the cenotaph in Morwell to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. The plaque will sit alongside an older plaque that marks 100 years since the start of the Great War in 1915 and the landing of...
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PAYNESVILLE TO COMMEMORATE THE END OF THE GREAT WAR
The Paynesville RSL Sub-Branch will receive Federal Government funding to commemorate the Centenary of Armistice in November. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester announced the sub-branch would receive $2700 to hold a ceremony to mark 100 years since the...
read moreAPPLY NOW FOR GRANTS TO SUPPORT OUR VOLUNTEERS
Community groups across Gippsland can now apply for Federal Government funding to support the work of their tireless volunteers. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has encouraged local not-for-profit groups to seek a share of $20 million in grants....
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TENDERS OPEN FOR WORKS AT ROSEDALE’S WILLOW PARK
Local businesses have an opportunity to secure work as part of the $1.5 million Rosedale Revitalisation project, with tenders now open for construction of a new toilet block and picnic shelter at the Willow Park. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester...
read moreTHREE WEEKS TO PUT UP YOUR HAND FOR FEDERAL FUNDING
Sporting clubs and community groups in Gippsland have just three weeks to apply for their share in $150,000 to buy equipment or undertake small infrastructure projects. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is encouraging local groups to lodge an Expression of...
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WE ALL LOVE GIPPSLAND
NEW TOOLS FOR TOONGABBIE MEN’S SHED
Toongabbie men’s shed has received Federal Government funding to purchase new tools and equipment. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the committee had also undertaken some renovations to the shed including repainting. “Men’s sheds are an important...
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LOOKING TO DEVELOP FARMING REGIONS FOR FUTURE JOBS GROWTH
A pre-feasibility study has identified land on the east side of the Avon River that may be suitable for new irrigation development into the future. The Federal Government provided $667,000 to Southern Rural Water (SRW) to investigate the potential for new irrigation...
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