General News
29 July, 2026
Frustrations raised as State Election looms
THE struggles of small business owners and rapid deterioration of roads were among the major concerns raised when Member for Wannon Dan Tehan traversed the region last week.
Mr Tehan visited 16 communities across four days as part of his mobile office tour, hosting listening posts to meet with residents and hear their concerns.
He said it was wonderful to speak to so many people out in the communities across Wannon, including Terang and Mortlake, but sobering to hear just how many people had been impacted by the condition of roads.
“There’s growing anger about the state of the roads, and people want the Labor Government to do something about it because the potholes are getting worse and worse,” Mr Tehan said.
“We’re now seeing more and more people on the side of the road, having to change their tyres.
“It used to be something you would see occasionally but now you’re seeing it all the time.
“People know that’s a sign that things have gone beyond the pale.”
Mr Tehan said it was eye-opening just how many small business owners were fearful of their viability due to impacts of rising costs and taxes.
“There’s a lot of concern among small business they’re getting too much regulation and too much tax, which is creating an unfair burden on them,” he said.
“They are not only great for the community but they employ so many people as well, so we need a strong small business community.”
It was not all bad news, however, with a visit to the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange (WVLX) in Mortlake revealing farmers are feeling optimistic.
“One of the positives to emerge has been in the farming sector,” Mr Tehan said.
“We’ve had really good rain this year and prices are really good.
“The feedback at the WVLX, in terms of in the rural sector, was good.
“That’s great for the community.”
Mr Tehan said other concerns which had been prominent across the region was difficulty accessing aged care services and rising instances of crime.
“There’s concern around aged care because people are having to deal with a lot of paperwork, and it’s taking them an enormous amount of time to be able to get into the aged care system and get help and support for their loved ones,” he said.
“There has also been some people who are just a little bit worried about what’s happening with crime, which they’re starting to see more and more.
“It’s something people want to see dealt with.”
Mr Tehan said he would be active over the coming months with the State Election looming in November, as he hopes to work with the Victorian Coalition and local MPs in hopes of ousting Labor from government.
“We need a change,” he said.
“Roma Britnell has been working really hard, Richard Riordan has been working hard, and they want to see things improve.
“(Victorian Liberal leader) Jess Wilson has said Victoria needs a fresh start, and I think there’s a lot of people who agree with that and a lot of anger toward (Premier Jacinta Allan) state leadership.
“A lot of people are looking at the Big Build corruption allegations and feeling that money could be going towards our roads.”
Mr Tehan said the recent Coalition pledge to dedicate 25 per cent of all new infrastructure funding to regional areas, including a $5 billion road fund commitment over four years, had received no shortage of support across the region.
“It’s a great announcement,” he said.
“The commitment is one of the best commitments I’ve heard in my time as the Federal Member for Parliament in Wannon.
“It’s a fantastic announcement, and the fact we’ll get our fair share of all the infrastructure and project money is also brilliant as well.
“It means our community facilities can get upgraded, our roads can get upgraded and we can make sure our communities are as strong as communities in the capital cities.
“It’s all we want, and all that we think is fair.”