Hansard debates

  Mr O'BRIEN  (Western  Victoria) -- President,  I  second the  motion.  I  also
congratulate you on your appointment to this high office.
It is with  immense gratitude that I rise to humbly thank first and foremost the
people  of Western Victoria Region for granting me  the opportunity to represent
their interests in this chamber over the next four years. In thanking the people
of  Western Victoria Region for placing their trust in me  I understand  that as
yet  I have  only  achieved  an  opportunity  to  advance  their  interests,  an
opportunity  I intend to embrace with my full conviction and  to serve  with the
best of my ability.
The opportunity that has fallen to me is a reflection of the decisive win of the
Baillieu-Ryan coalition government in the last election. I am acutely aware that
the present upper  house preferences system that has delivered the coalition and
me this chance is an endorsement of the hard work of the entire coalition 

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team in putting together a set  of policies that has delivered a historic return
to government.
In terms of individual thanks I need look no further for inspiration than to the
new Deputy Premier, Peter Ryan. I would also like to  thank his wife, Trish, for
her continuing  support of me and my family over many years. Since assuming  the
leadership  of  our  party after  the  1999  election, the  Deputy  Premier  has
travelled  long and difficult roads, but  like the wise old  salts of the sea he
has stayed the course  and  kept a firm  hand  on the tiller, knowing  that  our
steadily increasing Nationals representation would eventually  see  us back onto
the government benches. At all  times  the  delivery  of better outcomes for the
regions has been his and our party's top priority.
Throughout the  party's 90-year history The Nationals have made  standing up for
the regions a singular defining principle.

Beyond that we hold no  other hidden  agendas. When  the now  Premier and Deputy
Premier re-entered the  coalition agreement in 2008 it was done on behalf of two
proud and independent parties.  We  now look forward to working closely with the
Liberal Party in stable coalition government for as long as the citizens of this
state continue to hold us in their favour.
My own family's history has to  some extent followed the fortunes and challenges
that have faced many in the  west  over this state's history. I am a  product of
proud western Victoria traditions. My family has been part of  the small western
Victorian  community of Penshurst for over 160 years. I am fortunate  enough  to
own  a  historic property,  Yulungah,  formerly owned by  Cr  John Mackiehan,  a
founder of the Municipal Association of Victoria and a noted winemaker.

I also pay tribute to  Bill  Lewis, a former MLA, who is fondly  remembered as a
football administrator and a  parochial contributor to  all aspects of Penshurst
life, especially the Penshurst and  District Memorial Hospital. He is reputed to
have had no difficulty in finding  a  direct  and vital relationship between his
beloved Penshurst and  much  of the business  that went before  the  Legislative
Assembly. I can well understand why.
In approximately  1841 my  great-great-grandfather, Terence O'Brien,  arrived in
Victoria as a 21-year-old from Tipperary, Ireland, and settled  at Mount Moriac,
west of Geelong. By 1853 he had acquired substantial land-holdings north-west of
Penshurst, which  he called Springfield after  his native townland in Ireland. I
am pleased to say that after six generations our family still farms a portion of
this  land on the Murdum Creek known as  Glad's  spring,  after  my  grandmother
Gladys Wik.

I  am  the first lawyer in  our family over those generations,  but it seems the
second to have entered public life. My great-great-grandfather, old Terry, as he
was known, managed to top  the  poll at the first vote for the  formation of the
Mount Rouse Roads Board in 1860, as a precursor to the Shire  of Mount Rouse, on
which he also served.
The no. 1 issue  then was one very familiar to western Victorians today,  and it
is one I intend to take as my top priority in my time in  Parliament -- that is,
the condition  of  the district's  roads.  The extensive land-holdings  that  my
great-grandfather built up in the 19th century  were unfortunately whittled away
after his death in 1893, so that when my grandparents  married they were able to
purchase just a small acreage at the final clearing sale of Springfield in 1928,
where they struggled to raise my father, Terry, his  sister  Lillian  and  their
brother, Brian O'Brien.

Despite my father's poor circumstances, his parents and teachers  recognised the
importance of education and prepared him for a junior  government scholarship so
he could continue his education beyond grade 8. He was successful and went on to
attend St  Patrick's College Ballarat, followed by employment for seven years at
the former Shire of  Wimmera in Horsham, where he completed his matriculation by
correspondence.  He  then  went  on  to  a  stellar  academic  career  in  civil
engineering at the University of Melbourne.
In later years  he founded his own  private practice, OMC  International,  which
specialises in  innovative computer technology for the safer and  more efficient
movement  of bulk and  container  ships  in and out  of  ports, for which it  is
recognised as  a  world leader.  His  team continues to  contribute  significant
savings to the  Australian economy. He was recently honoured with a Medal of the
Order  of  Australia  for  this  service. I also congratulate my parents on  the
momentous occasion of their 47th wedding anniversary today.

A commitment to equal  opportunity runs deep in my family. My great-grandmother,
Catherine Archbold, who was also from Penshurst,  was  a  signatory  to the 1891
petition presented to this Parliament  calling for the right of women to vote on
equal terms with men.
As  a  result of my father's experience, my parents valued education, and  their
six children have gone on to develop professional careers. I pay tribute to them
and  their blossoming families  today.  They are,  in  order  of age:  Professor
Terence O'Brien, professor of medicine 

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at the  University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital; Dr Daniel O'Brien,
infectious diseases  specialist at Geelong Hospital and voluntary physician with
Medecins Sans Fronti res;  Peter  O'Brien, a maritime  engineer and CEO  of  OMC
International;  Dr Catherine Meade  of the neuropsychology  unit at St Vincent's
Hospital; and Dr Matthew O'Brien,  paediatric registrar at  Hervey Bay Hospital,
Queensland.
I must say,  however, that the  academic  and professional successes  which have
blessed  our  family  are  due  as  much,  if  not  more,  to  the  support  and
encouragement of my  mother, Pauline Robins, as they are to my father's success.
Her family also comes  from western Victoria. She is descended from the earliest
settlers around Clunes and  Ballarat. A  relation on  her side  whose name  I am
honoured to carry into this chamber, Archibald Roland Knight, was  one  of  over
150 western Victorian light-horsemen who were tragically killed in the first two
waves at the Nek, Gallipoli, in August 1915. Lest we forget.

My memories of the farm in childhood and the Easter races to the summit of Mount
Rouse with my siblings,  my involvement with the  Penshurst Football and Netball
Club and my  time as a licensee  of  the Penshurst Hotel have  contributed  to a
belief in the attractions of country life and  a  vision  for  western Victoria.
This vision has been powerful enough for me to move  from my legal profession to
the position I now hold in this Parliament.
Penshurst is but one example  of the  many towns  and communities  that exist in
western Victoria  with  a great potential  for revitalised growth. The  issue of
regional development has been the recurring theme of my  political life to date,
arising  from   my  professional  experience  and  family  background.  Regional
development  and reversing the population pull towards Melbourne provide a large
part of my vision for the electorate of Western Victoria Region.

It is a  vision that many country people hold and which I am pleased  to see has
in recent  times been embraced in principle by all of the major parties that are
represented in this chamber.
However,  despite the  plans  of its earliest  settlers, including many  notable
western  Victorians, Victoria  currently  finds  itself to  be  one of the  most
centralised  and urbanised populations  in the world.  There are two fundamental
problems: firstly, people in  the  regions, who are the lifeblood of the economy
-- the producers -- unfairly miss  out  on  the  opportunities  which  flow from
investment  and  infrastructure; and  secondly,  at  the same  time  cities like
Melbourne  groan  under  the  burden  of  development  and  planning  pressures,
congestion, overcrowding, pollution and carbon emissions.

Regional  Cities  Victoria recently commissioned  work  by  the  firm  Essential
Economics that estimated that if 50  000  people were settled in regional cities
rather than Melbourne, the cumulative  cost of providing critical infrastructure
to  support this population would be $1 billion rather  than  the  $3.1  billion
required  in  Melbourne.  The  study  also  quantified  significant  savings  in
congestion and  greenhouse  gas  costs  associated with  encouraging  population
growth in regional cities.
For  us in government to  sustain western Victorian towns and eventually reverse
the regional population  decline, the main  requirements are jobs,  people, good
schools, hospitals, good community facilities, roads -- and more jobs. What will
bring the jobs? Many things will, but they start with a belief and a vision, and
they  are delivered with money, commitment and hard work. Roads,  rail  and  air
freight  are critical, as  well  as the continued  development of our nationally
significant ports of Portland and Geelong.

Whilst development has occurred in recent  years  in Geelong, the Surf Coast and
Ballarat, even greater  opportunities lie out  further  west in places  such  as
Horsham, Hamilton,  Warrnambool, Portland, Ararat,  Stawell, Balmoral, Colac and
Camperdown, and all the hinterland towns such as those comprising the membership
of the magnificent Mininera and district football and netball league.
The  strong role played by the Deputy Premier as the  Minister for  Regional and
Rural Development in formulating the coalition's $1 billion regional growth fund
will be of benefit to all Victorians.
A further  issue of  importance to  western Victoria  on which I wish to comment
briefly is the wind farm  industry. I state at the outset that I  am a supporter
of  the  wind farm  industry  as  a great  renewable  resource, particularly for
south-western Victoria.

Together with potential offshore  wave  power  resources  along  the  south-west
coast, it could become  a major contributor to the sustainable prosperity of the
state.   Nevertheless,  I  have  since  my  first  involvement  with  wind  farm
development  proposals  advocated  for  a  reform  to  the   system  of  royalty
compensation payments so  as to include  adjoining  landowners who do  not  host
turbines on their properties  but who may nevertheless  be adversely impacted by
their nearby  location. I  was pleased  to see  this form part of the  coalition
policy, as it has been a longstanding plank of the policy of The 

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Nationals. It is derived from successful practice overseas.
This aspect of the policy will not cause undue  economic hardship  for wind farm
proposals. I believe that if  these proposals are made more equitable, they will
proceed with less community division, to the ultimate benefit of the communities
that support them. I also believe  that,  where  possible,  a  proportion of the
revenue  should  be  returned to the local community, and I will  encourage  the
efforts  of local  wind farm  operators in  my area  to continue  to pursue this
objective.
Much can  be  achieved in the  west without needing  to  sacrifice environmental
amenities or productive agricultural farmland. We must see an improvement to our
farmgate prices so that more young farmers can be encouraged to stay on the land
and raise their children in local communities.

I also have a  passion for music and would like to affirm  the growth of musical
festivals  in western Victoria  in  recent years. Having  had the opportunity to
perform  at the  Meredith and Falls festivals in past years, I can  confirm that
they are wonderful  events, which, if carefully  planned and organised,  offer a
great resource to farmers and foster community spirit. In a volunteer capacity I
have  assisted  Advance  Penshurst to  organise  its annual  Mount  Rouse  music
festival, and we  look forward to celebrating our third festival  in conjunction
with Penshurst's 150th celebrations next year.
One does not arrive at a place like this on one's own. My journey here would not
have  occurred  without the support of my wife, Janine. Her patience and support
for me, as  well as that from my three beautiful children, Lillian, Sam and Ned,
is an  inspiration and  a motivation for putting myself up for public office  to
try to improve the lives of all Victorian children.

It is a fundamental and self-evident truth that our children will be the leaders
of tomorrow, and we must look after their welfare.
I also thank the members of my wider family -- my many cousins, the O'Hallorans,
Munros, Cockburns and Luyres;  my in-laws, the  Denholms and Wieses; the  Moores
and Damon O'Brien -- for their continuing support.  I thank the president of The
Nationals,  Robert Mitchell,  vice-presidents  Peter  Schwarz  and Craig  Sobey,
members and supporters of The Nationals, federal and state, who have assisted me
over the years. I also pay special tribute to Senator-elect  Bridget McKenzie. I
acknowledge the  contribution  and assistance  provided  to  me from  the  great
western  Victorian   Nationals,  including  the  Honourable  Roger   Hallam;  Mr
Delahunty, the Minister for Sport and Recreation in the  Assembly; Wendy McIvor;
Brian and Luke O'Sullivan; and  the  Cameron  family of Myamyn. In Ruby Cameron,
the very  active president of the Young Nationals, the future of our great party
is in safe hands.

I also acknowledge the cooperation of the Liberal Party and its members who have
supported me, as well as my colleagues  from The  Nationals in  this chamber.  I
thank my branch and supporters over two election campaigns, although the limited
time available to me prevents me from mentioning them all by name. I acknowledge
the  service and valuable  contributions  of  my  immediate  predecessor,  Peter
Kavanagh. I also look forward to working with  my  colleagues  from  the Western
Victoria Region -- David Koch, Simon Ramsay, Jaala Pulford and Gayle Tierney  --
for the betterment of our great region.
I briefly acknowledge the support  of the  many members of the Victorian Bar who
have  acted, sometimes  simultaneously,  as friends,  opponents,  confidants and
mentors. I would also like to thank my many instructing solicitors as well as my
clerk, John  Kelly, and  the secretaries  and all the staff at Foley's List  who
have provided such impeccable and professional service to me over many years.

I must also acknowledge the contribution of the now recently retired Judge Frank
Walsh to the administration of justice in this state over many years.
In concluding, I turn briefly to a  document which  I recently discovered in the
parliamentary  library.  The  document  refers  to  a  little-known  underground
movement that has not  been released on any media  Wikileaks. It does not as yet
even warrant a Wikipedia webpage. It does, however, have a provocative title. It
is called  West  Victoria Separation Movement  -- the 1860s Call  for Secession.
Very little is known about this movement. The call for secession was led by many
prominent western Victorians of the time, including members of the Henty family.
It  began  at a large public meeting in  Portland  on 10 May 1861, where it  was
resolved:
  ...

  that the centralising policy of  Melbourne demands that we should endeavour to
  obtain the cooperation of the neighbouring  townships in the  Western District
  and part of  the south-eastern district  of  South Australia, in  having these
  formed into a separate colony.
I do not  know if my great-great-grandfather was present, but I do  know that he
managed  to play a prominent role in the breakaway movement  of the  Mount Rouse
Roads Board  from the  Shire of  Belfast some  five months earlier. It is  worth
remembering that 

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this meeting took place in Portland one month after the US Civil War began.
Have no fear,  President:  so  soon  after  swearing the oath of loyalty earlier
today,  I  do not stand in  my  capacity as a newly  elected  member for Western
Victoria region  to preach secession as a cure for western Victoria's needs. The
document is worthy of careful  study for  the cause  of the  grievances and  the
striking similarities  to  today's complaints and opportunities facing the west.
The concluding hope of these colonial leaders was:
  The day when we should have a local Parliament in West Victoria would be a day
  of new life and prosperity to Belfast and Warrnambool in  particular,  as well
  as to all other towns of the new colony.

  There would then be established between Melbourne and  Adelaide another centre
  of population, another  mart for colonial enterprise  in the new colony, which
  would  possess  five  serviceable  ports,  a  healthy  and salubrious climate,
  abundance of rich land and an ample revenue.
The years may have passed, but the song  remains the same. The notion of a truly
international    gateway   port   and   a   centre   of   population   in    the
Portland-Warrnambool  area is not lost  but  in  my  view  remains  as  a  great
opportunity to be achieved in the early part of this century.
The process begins with a  whole-of-government commitment to  achieve these ends
not only  on behalf  and to  the benefit  of the wonderful electorate of Western
Victoria Region but also to relieve infrastructure  pressures for the benefit of
Melbourne.

In  saying this,  I genuinely believe for the  reasons I  have stated  that more
often than  not  what is good for  western  Victoria will also be  good for this
great state as a whole.
I intend to honour the  trust given to me by the people  of western Victoria and
apply my wholehearted commitment to the task ahead. Thank you, President.