Friday 18 December 2009
BRUMBY PUBLIC HOLIDAY BACKFLIP A WIN FOR COMMON SENSE
Local councils will again be allowed to split public holidays within their boundaries in what Member for Gippsland South and Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan has called “a win for common sense”.
In 2008 the Brumby government amended the Public Holidays Act which allowed country municipalities to gazette only one substitute Melbourne Cup Day public holiday to cover the entire municipality.
As a result individual towns within a municipality were forced to have their Melbourne Cup Day substitute holiday on the same day as all other towns in the municipality, meaning the various towns were unable to have a separate holiday for their agricultural show day, major race meeting or other major town event as they had done in the past.
Mr Ryan said this caused a huge outcry and confusion in rural communities across the state.
“In my electorate of Gippsland South the traditional Sale Agricultural Show and Maffra Show holidays were replaced by Melbourne Cup Day holiday, causing great pain to organisers of both events,” Mr Ryan said.
“Examples such as these were a common theme across rural and regional Victoria and as a result the Coalition announced earlier this year that if elected to government in 2010 it would amend the Public Holidays Act to allow for split public holidays within the municipalities,” Mr Ryan said.
“This would allow local councils to designate different public holidays as a substitute for Melbourne Cup Day to accommodate country race days and agricultural show days.”
Mr Ryan said pressure from the opposition and recent community anger and protest forced the Brumby Government to admit their arrogant approach to the implementation of their Melbourne Cup Day legislation was completely misguided.
“Because of Labor’s pointless and out-of-touch decision many local race days and agricultural shows lost customers and vital dollars,” he said.
“Taking the option away from local councils demonstrates a lack of understanding from the Brumby Government about the financial and social importance of these local events.
“This backflip by the Premier is a win for common sense and will allow communities greater flexibility to choose their own public holidays in replacement for the Melbourne Cup Day holiday.”
