Small towns need a stronger voice: Brooks

Visiting Mansfield last week, Liberal upper house candidate Steve Brooks said his own upbringing in a small Murray River community had given him an understanding of how easily country towns could be overlooked when decisions were made in Melbourne. He said he wanted to spend more time visiting smaller towns throughout the electorate, listening to residents and ensuring their concerns were represented in State Parliament. Mr Brooks, who has been endorsed to lead the Coalition's upper house ticket for Northern Victoria, is seeking to replace retiring Liberal MP Wendy Lovell, who has served in State Parliament since 2002. With a background in agriculture, international trade and education, he believes his experience provides an understanding of the pressures facing regional businesses and families. Mr Brooks operates a pomegranate farm, with approximately 6500 trees, and has spent much of his working life involved in agriculture. He also spent 11 years selling Australian produce in overseas markets, working across Asia, Europe and North America, before returning to the Murray Valley. Having traded grain both domestically and internationally, he said Victoria needed to become a more attractive place to establish and operate a business. Mr Brooks argued that the regulatory and financial pressures facing businesses in Victoria were discouraging investment, with some operators choosing to establish themselves in Queensland or other states instead. Education was another priority raised during his Mansfield visit, with the former teacher throwing his support behind the Liberal and Nationals' recently announced plan to establish 10 new technical colleges across Victoria. He believes technical education is particularly important for regional students, where access to vocational training and apprenticeships can help young people develop skills while remaining connected to their communities. Mr Brooks was also critical of the State Government's financial management, arguing that despite substantial revenue flowing into government coffers, communities were not seeing sufficient returns. “Money is going in, no money is coming out,” he said. He said maintaining a presence across the electorate, rather than concentrating attention on major population centres, would be central to his approach if elected.