• Advocate for equitable access to health and community services, invest in preventative health initiatives, and increase access to mental health services for rural and regional people. Support communities to attract and retain the health professionals they need.​

 

• Improve and expand the NDIS to make the scheme fairer and more accessible. 

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• Implement the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission to ensure better access to care for older Australians.

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• Improve funding and set minimum staff ratios for at-home and residential aged care services.

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• Provide better training and remuneration for the care workforce to support the quality and availability of aged care and childcare services, and protect the wellbeing of our children and older people.​

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• Improve funding and access to childcare services in rural and regional areas, and support working women to remain in the workforce by expanding paid parental leave.

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•  Support adequate funding to implement the forthcoming National Plan to End Violence Against Women and their Children.

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• Implement all recommendations in the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Report, and ensure First Nations people and their children have the same opportunities and health outcomes as non-Indigenous Australians.

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• Ensure the respectful treatment and safety of LGBTQI+ people.

• Recognise that climate change will present significant risks for farmers that include unpredictable weather, lower ground water levels and increased risks of heat stress.

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• Develop a national climate change strategy for agriculture that includes:​​

  • substantial support for farming practices that increase resiliency and adaptability to climate change

  • financial and other help for farmers adopting practices that reduce net greenhouse gas emissions

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• Support developments in agricultural processes by:

  • ​funding more research into sustainable and efficient farming practices applicable to south-west Victoria

  • providing greater opportunities for university and other higher studies in agriculture within the region

  • allowing farmers greater choice by extending energy subsidies -currently only available for diesel - to include new and alternative energy sources

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•  Improve the capacity of farmers to employ needed workers in agriculture by:

  • increasing accommodation options, including alternative housing types, for farm workers​

  • improving visa arrangements for farm workers that remove unnecessary delays and reduce risks for employers

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• ​ Help maintain farm environments by:

  • providing incentives for farmers to protect and enhance remnant vegetation on their land​

  • ensuring ongoing support for Australia's network of Landcare Groups

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• Streamline Australia's inefficient visa system to provide a transparent and fair pathway to permanent settlement for all persons classed as refugees in Australia.

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• Adopt compassionate arrangements for people seeking refuge from persecution and violence that are in line with our signatory obligations under the UN Refugee Convention.

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• Acknowledge the effectiveness of rural communities in welcoming, employing and integrating refugees and update Australia’s refugee intake to reflect the growing needs of these communities.