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'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Don't give up too easily; persistence pays off in the end.' The proverb best sums up state politics in the south-west this week.
Having bemoaned their inability to jail drivers who fail oral drug tests, several Warrnambool magistrates had cause for celebration. Premier Daniel Andrews finally revealed his government was moving to tighten penalties for such indiscretions.
It's about time. We have repeatedly highlighted magistrates' comments. Our social media platforms have been bombarded with complaints penalties were out of step with drink driving. It is ridiculous to think a driver who failed seven drug tests in a six-month period could not be jailed. But that's what happened recently.
As a community we will need to be persistent in the quest for better roads and an upgraded Warrnambool Base Hospital.
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell attacked Mr Andrews in parliament this week, demanding he experience our roads and address the issues.
She claimed Mr Andrews did not care about country Victorians, saying he had visited China more times than regional Victorians. While she erred - Mr Andrews has visited China five times - the same number as the south-west since he was premier - the point was made.
Our roads are crumbling. And while the federal government has allocated $140 million in recent months to our roads, we need the state government to follow suit. The state government repeatedly says it is funding upgrades but many are just band-aid fixes rather than longer-term solutions.
As a community, we need to persist in calling for Mr Andrews and senior ministers like Health Minister Jenny Mikakos to visit our region so we can show them our biggest priorities. Ms Mikakos has vowed to visit Warrnambool Base Hospital "this year". With just over three months remaining in 2019, time is running out to keep the promise. We will continue to prod the government and together our persistence will pay off.
The government will also have to address the backlog of cases in Warrnambool Magistrates Court. On Friday, an experienced barrister revealed his client, who has spent 79 days in custody on remand, had his bail application adjourned for the second time because the magistrate was running out of time to hear all matters listed. The defendant has to wait until next month now for a date with the magistrate. Warrnambool needs a second magistrate and the government needs to act quickly.
The state of the region's job market made headlines again this week. There are hundreds of jobs available but not the workers.
It was a tragic week on the roads. The death of Tyrendarra's Greg Frost because of a medical condition while going to the South West District Football League grand final last Saturday was heart-breaking. So too the death of AFL identity Danny Frawley. His passing touched many in the region, including Warrnambool exports Jonathan Brown and Jason Mifsud. Brown, who looked up to Spud as a kid when the St Kilda skipper visited places like Warrnambool for footy clinics, has worked alongside him in the media. Brown's memories of Frawley, including receiving a call from him from the pub after he coached a Vic Country side, including Koroit's Sam Dobson, to a win earlier this year, underlined Spud's popularity.
On a lighter note, our story about Boo the wombat captured plenty of interest.
Here's a selection of other stories that made headlines this week.
Until next week,