Council
3 December, 2025
Riordan visits Timboon
MEMBER for Polwarth Richard Riordan visited Timboon last week to hear from residents about the issues which matter most to them.
Topics brought up included the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, competing land use concerning tree plantations, roads, housing affordability, renewable energy sites and the waste levy.
“I think the issues raised by Timboon are very important local issues that I would expect to get in other towns like this – Cobden, Camperdown and Lismore,” Mr Riordan said.
“People in country communities are very well connected in terms of understanding the needs of their community.
“They don’t often want much – they just want good, basic, safe services.
“The message is there is a growing frustration that there are a lot of taxes paid – there is a lot of wealth being generated in this area – and people aren’t getting their fair share.”
Mr Riordan said south west Victorians were missing out compared to metropolitan areas.
“We know that, because the Productivity Commission came out just recently, we’re only getting 11 per cent of revenue raised in the state back into our country areas and we account for 25 per cent of the population,” he said.
“We’re basically missing out on half the money we should be getting.
“Where’s that money going? It’s going to Melbourne.
“I think it’s a more than reasonable request that we get a fairer share.”
Going into a state election next year, Mr Riordan said roads were one of his main priorities.
“I think roads, roads, roads, because at the end of the day good roads keep us safe, good roads help our industries and I know from the dairy industry – transport’s our third biggest industry in Polwarth,” he said.
“We’ve got tourists everywhere, tourism is a very big industry – we need roads that are safe and reliable and so that’s got to be front and centre.
“When we get to that we’ve got to get a state tax system that – while we won’t be able to solve it straight away – but we need to move it in a direction that the community understands is becoming fairer.
“Fairer means not charging an extra $2 billion on a fire service tax that isn’t coming back to help us.
“They’re the types of things we’re talking about.”
Read More: Timboon