The Victorian and New South Wales Governments announced a major partnership to expand urgent care services across both states, in a move to further try and ease record demand on busy emergency departments following COVID-19.
 
Victoria and NSW will each establish 25 urgent care services in partnership with General Practitioners (GPs) bringing the total number of services across both states to 50.
 
The services will help ease pressure on emergency departments, give people faster care for urgent but non-critical conditions and free up critical resources for patients with more serious needs.
 
Services will operate for extended hours and patients will not be charged for services provided by GPs. Patients without a Medicare card will also be able to access services, free of charge.
 
As part of the package in Victoria, 10 centres will be established including one in Werribee, which will partner with Werribee Mercy Hospital.

Another 10 Victorian locations will be announced soon.

Great to see progress at the site for the future Lollypop Creek Primary School!

Looking forward to another new school opening in Werribee in 2023.

It is wonderful to see the decision of new school names in Werribee.

The preferred names that were chosen are:

• Holyoake Parade Primary School (interim) as Ngarri Primary School
• Lollypop Creek Primary School (interim) as Lollypop Creek Primary School

Thank you to everyone who made a submission.

A new koala ward is now operational at Werribee Open Range Zoo!

The RSPCA Koala Ward is providing expert care for sick and injured koalas, native birds, reptiles and other creatures in the west, and is a great addition to our Zoos Victoria wildlife hospital network.

The $2.55 million project made possible by significant philanthropic support, including $1.5 million in donations to RSPCA following the Black Summer bushfires.

Great to join with Minister Lily D'Ambrosio and Mathew Hilakari candidate for Point Cook, for this fantastic announcement, and thank you to RSPCA Victoria and Zoos Victoria.

The right to freedom of speech, and the right to live free from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality and religion, are all part of living in a vibrant democracy such as ours.

Thank you Suzanne Cory High School for inviting me to speak about this important topic at the Local Parliament Convention – along with Dr Dvir Abramovich and Ms Yolanda Vega – in front of a packed auditorium of bright, politically-engaged students from many different schools.

Our democracy is strengthened when people can freely engage in the political process, raise their voice, and fundamentally respect each other's humanity.

And it's fantastic to know that so many young people are doing exactly this, in order to progress towards an even fairer society.

Wonderful to join some of my littlest constituents at Manor Lakes Library this morning for their storytime session.

I'm proud that the Andrews Labor Government's Best Start, Best Life initiatives will transform the early childhood sector, by:

Making kinder free across the state
Delivering a new year of universal Pre-Prep for 4-year-olds
Establishing 50 government operated childcare centres

These important reforms will provide Victorian children with the best start to their education and life – and provide savings for many families.

The Andrews Labor Government recognises the role of public libraries in fostering lifelong learning and facilitating access to information - both print and digital.

I'm excited to announce that the Wyndham council will receive $1,592,725 in funding, which will be invested into local libraries.

The Victorian Government will continue to support public libraries to provide a safe, supported community space for local people to engage in a wide range of activities.

With unemployment at 3.1 per cent, and 3.5 million Victorians in work, there are plenty of reasons to smile.

Read more here premier.vic.gov.au/new-record-low-unemployment-rate-victoria?fbclid=IwAR1k2ULtMplT8JmeDutWR7TJD7-BWvDfcPj-lQMBcNeuqB-0fSRNNRYIH-4.

Victoria’s regional unemployment rate has fallen to a record low and is by far the lowest regional unemployment rate in the nation, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported last month.

The ABS data shows the regional unemployment rate dropped to 2.9 per cent in July, with almost 750,000 regional Victorians in work.

Some 1,100 new jobs were created across the state.

The number of jobs in the regions has increased by almost 90,000 since the Labor Government was elected in November 2014, while the unemployment rate has more than halved.

Victoria’s stellar regional jobs performance has been made possible by a sustained and powerful economic recovery that proves the resilience and underlying strength of the state’s economy.

Everyone has a responsibility to get consent before engaging in sexual activity.

Affirmative consent means seeking and giving explicit, informed and voluntary agreement.

The new laws are a crucial step in stopping violence against women, by shifting the focus from the actions of the victim-survivor to those of the accused.

The practice of stealthing – removing, not using or deliberately breaking a condom without the other person’s consent – is now also a crime

Did you hear? The Andrews Labor Government is slashing costs for new drivers by kicking learner and probationary licence fees to the kerb.

Aspiring L-platers will save up to $51.40 in licence and online testing fees.

While learner drivers going for their P-plates will save up to $133.30 in licence and online hazard perception testing fees.

Extra petrol money in your pocket.

Cut the cost of living with the new Service Victoria Savings Finder.
 
You can now quickly and easily see government discounts, rebates, and savings all in one place. 
 
📱 Open the Service Victoria app or go to service.vic.gov.au. 
💲 Tap on the Savings Finder. 
❓ Answer a few simple questions. 
💰 The Savings Finder will search more than 60 discounts, rebates and savings then give you a list of savings relevant to you.

More savings are being added regularly.

The WorkWell Toolkit for Small Business is a free, online resource to help employers create a safe and mentally healthy workplace.

The improved WorkWell Toolkit for Small Business provides small business owners with practical ideas and resources to prevent mental injury in the workplace so their employees can thrive.

The online resource is now easier to use and quicker to access and includes useful information such as case studies and policy templates to prevent bullying, create a culture of respect, promote work–life balance and establish a workplace mental health policy.

The WorkWell Toolkit for Small Business is available from WorkSafe Victoria’s website worksafe.vic.gov.au/workwell-toolkit-small-business.

The Andrews Labor Government is backing Victoria’s healthcare system with free university and specialist training for thousands of nurses and midwives.

All new domestic students enrolling in a professional-entry nursing or midwifery course in 2023 and 2024 will receive a scholarship of up to $16,500 to cover course costs.

The initiative, together with the $12 billion Pandemic Repair Plan brings the number of nurses and midwives being supported to more than 20,000, including funding 13,000 nursing and midwifery positions and scholarships, and funding the upskilling of 8,500 nurses.

A new care pathway is being introduced for older Victorians living in residential aged care as part of an Andrews Labor Government investment to help ease pressure on our hospitals and ambulances.
 
The new pathway will allow some Triple Zero calls for aged care residents who don’t need an emergency ambulance to instead be connected to the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department.
 
This new virtual service is expected to provide free assessment and consultation to around 80 patients a day and will be appropriate for residents with a variety of conditions or ailments, such as dehydration, unidentified infection or a cognitive event.
 
They can then be connected to a range of services and supports such as clinical assessments, medical advice and specialist referrals to better manage or treat their condition.
 
It will not only remove the burden on residents of having to leave their home environment to be taken to hospital, but also free up valuable space in emergency departments and ambulances for those who need it most.
 
Since October 2020, the Virtual ED has supported more than 28,000 patients and achieved an ambulance or emergency department diversion rate of around 71 per cent.

Victorians needing elective surgery will get the tailored care they need faster, thanks to a new public surgery centre set to open in Melbourne’s east later this year.
 
The Andrews Labor Government will transform Bellbird Private Hospital in Blackburn into a dedicated public elective surgery centre.

When it’s operational, the new centre will help more than 5,700 Victorians get the surgical care they need each year.
 
This is the second private hospital repurposed by the Labor Government as a planned surgery centre, with Frankston Private Hospital on track to transition into a public health service in September.

Together, once fully operational, the two facilities will deliver close to 15,000 surgeries each year.
 
This latest initiative is just one of many under the Labor Government’s $1.5 billion COVID Catch Up Plan – the state’s long-term strategy to reform the elective surgery system so every Victorian family can get the care they need, when they need it most.

The Andrews Labor Government is providing more free primary care options for children and families while easing pressure on our hospital system – with GP respiratory clinics designed specifically for kids set to open in coming weeks.

While children can continue to be seen at any of Victoria’s GP respiratory clinics, the two new paediatric-focused clinics will allow kids with low to moderate symptoms to receive free and immediate treatment for a range of respiratory conditions in a more child-friendly environment.

To reduce demand on the hospital system, the two paediatric clinics will see up to 150 patients per week combined, preventing avoidable visits to the emergency department.

The clinics will be free, with or without a Medicare card.

They will be open seven days a week, with weekday opening hours running from approximately 6pm to 11pm and weekend hours to be confirmed by next week.

This winter has put unprecedented demand on the health system, with thousands more cases of COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory illnesses than 2020 and 2021.

Even with the bulk of the winter weather behind us, hospital emergency departments are still seeing a high number of respiratory illnesses among children, which can be expected to continue as we enter spring when cases of hay fever will be on the rise and the risk of thunderstorm asthma increase.

The Andrews Labor Government is supporting 21 projects with $3.4m in grant funding to accelerate breakthroughs in Victorian medical research, improve health outcomes and tackle global health challenges for Victorians.

One of the projects backed through the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund is by The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute as they research ovarian cancer with RMIT University, identifying clinical trial patients who might hold the key to future ovarian cancer vaccines and potentially preventing cancers from returning.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women in Australia, with around 1,400 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed each year.

Since the launch of the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund in 2017, the Victorian Government has invested in 90 projects through the five rounds of the fund, providing $15.3 million to the Victorian health and medical research sector.

For a full list of the 21 projects that have received grants, please visit djpr.vic.gov.au/medical-research/funding.

Great to see more Smile Squad free dental vans rolling out to public schools in Werribee.

The Andrews Labor Government knows that Victorians have had fewer dental appointments in the past two years, thanks to the pandemic and cost-of-living pressures.

So Smile Squad is a great opportunity for more kids to have easy access to quality dental care.

See smilesquad.vic.gov.au for more info.

Victoria has received Australia’s largest ever donation to medical research, to establish the world’s first pandemic therapeutics centre here in Melbourne.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister Jaala Pulford joined philanthropist Geoff Cumming at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity  to announce the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics – a dedicated research facility that will transform the management of future pandemics.

Mr Cumming has committed $250 million to the University of Melbourne over the next 10 years.

The Victorian Government will invest $75 million so this new centre can be built within the upcoming Australian Institute for Infectious Disease, opening in 2027, to help prepare Australia and the region for future pandemics.

Investing in therapeutics will give our researchers the tools they need develop treatments for patients right from the moment of diagnosis. Disease treatments are an important tool in pandemic management and work side-by-side with vaccines to project people and prevent deaths.

Since the program launched in March this year, the Andrews Labor Government have paid $5.1 million in sick pay claims to Victorian casual and contract workers.

More than 25,000 Victorians have registered to be part of the Sick Pay Guarantee program, helping people stay home when they’re sick, keeping our community and businesses safe.

All you have to do is open the service Victoria app, or google sick pay guarantee.

Register now at vic.gov.au/sick-pay-guarantee, so that when you are sick, you are covered.

The Andrews Labor Government is boosting Victoria’s healthcare workforce by recruiting hundreds of doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals living overseas – including healthcare workers wanting to return home – to help ease pressure on the hospital system.
 
Almost 700 overseas healthcare workers have arrived in Victoria in the past year from Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States – taking up employment across Victoria’s public health services, with one in five working in regional areas.
 
The international pipeline of new recruits is more important than ever as Victoria’s health system continues to experience record-breaking demand for services, while managing the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
With health systems around the world under pressure, workers are in high demand globally. Many have chosen to come to here because of Victoria’s high living standards and its place as a leader in global healthcare innovation.
 
Almost 200 of the new arrivals have accessed the Labor Government’s travel allowance scheme to help with relocation costs of up to $10,000 if moving to a metro area, or $13,000 for regional areas.

The Andrews Labor Government is using our purchasing power to put workers first.

The new Victorian Fair Jobs Code will ensure companies benefiting from large Government contracts and grants are providing safe, secure and inclusive workplaces for their employees.

Whether it’s removing dangerous level crossings or building new schools, hospitals, roads and rail lines – we’re committed to creating good jobs for Victorians across our state.

The Code will help promote job security, foster positive relationships between employers and employees, and encourage workplace equity and diversity.

Find out more vic.gov.au/fairjobscode.

The Andrews Labor Government knows that skilled workers have more opportunities and more choice.

We need to make sure we supply the skills in areas of acute shortage and invest in workers in Victoria, so they have the skills local industry demand.

This will build foundation skills across Victoria and enhance workforce participation.

TAFEs play a crucial role serving the needs of local industry and the community.

The Victorian Skill Authority has engaged with industry across state from Mallacoota to Melton to understand the skill we need to build a better Victoria.

A strong TAFE sector is key to a skilled workforce and productive economy.

Our priority is working with industry to ensure our training system produces resilient, adaptable worker with the skills to do the work of the future.

Free Kinder is locked in for 2023 and enrolments are open now.

It means Victorian children get the best start in life and families save up to $2,500 per year, per child.

Free Kinder will be available at participating sessional kindergartens and long day care settings.

This is all part of the Andrews Labor Government’s commitment to ensuring that every Victorian child has the best start in life no matter where they live.

The Andrews Labor Government is boosting Victoria’s teaching workforce when it’s needed most – training thousands of new educators through employment-based teaching degrees to give future teachers first-hand classroom experience while they learn.

The Innovative Initial Teacher Education Program offers seven fast-tracked Master of Teaching courses through Victoria’s best universities, giving students who already have an undergraduate degree quality teaching education while providing paid in-classroom experience from early in their study.

Since 2010, an average of just 50 students each year took up the pathway – but the Labor Government’s expansion of the program means almost 600 students will graduate from the courses in 2021 and 2022 alone, and a further $58.9 million boost in the Victorian Budget 2022/23 will see another 1,200 students trained by 2026.

Last month, the Andrews Labor Government launched Our promise, Your future: Victoria’s youth strategy 2022 – 2027.

Thousands of young people and sector leaders from across Victoria contributed to the development of this strategy.

The insights gathered will continue to inform laws, policies, and state-based services across all levels of government, removing barriers and opening doors for young people to be healthy, safe and empowered.

Young Victorians have a fierce passion for a stronger, fairer, and more equitable world. They have shown tremendous resilience over hardship, and perseverance to have their voices and experiences heard. This strategy is for them.

The Victorian Government made 74 commitments to young people under Our promise, Your future, and to kickstart the strategy’s implementation is a commitment of more than $605 million to bolster youth initiatives, resources and programs.

In addition, the strategy has been launched with $5.3 million for the delivery of new programs which speak to these commitments.

This is an exciting moment for young Victorians, and all those who work with young people. For young people, by young people – Our promise, Your future.

Read more at Youth Central, the Victorian Government's website for young people aged 12-25 youthcentral.vic.gov.au/.

Since we came to government in 2014, the Andrews Labor Government has been working hard to make sure Victorians get the skills they need to get a decent, secure job.

Our signature free TAFE policy is ensuring that rewarding careers are more accessible for more Victorians.

More than 115,000 people have benefited from Free TAFE – visit vic.gov.au/free-tafe to see if you can too!

Victoria’s biggest celebration of live music is set to boost tourism and businesses right across the state with the reveal of the Andrews Labor Government’s ALWAYS LIVE program.
 
The iconic Palais Theatre will host UK pop superstar Dua Lipa, with a rare one-off performance for 2,500 fans on Sunday 30 October.
 
The diverse and extensive program, will feature more than 90 events across 12 regions with more than 150 local and international artists – delivering a massive boost to the state’s live music industry while attracting fans to travel right across the state.
 
With two thirds of the program devoted to Victorian artists – international drawcards will feature alongside some of the state’s most celebrated homegrown talent, including Jessica Mauboy, Yothu Yindi and the Teskey Brothers.
 
Delivering a special concert for the community of Bright, while showcasing an incredible line-up of rising stars, one of the country’s most loved entertainers Jessica Mauboy, will perform at Pioneer Park on Saturday 12 November.
 
At Hamer Hall on Thursday 8 December, trailblazing legends Yothu Yindi will deliver a special appearance as part of Blaktivism – bringing together established and rising First Nations musical activists.
 
One of Melbourne’s finest folk exports The Teskey Brothers will take to the stage on Sunday 4 December, headlining Lovely Day at St Kilda’s Palace Foreshore.
 
For full program details go to alwayslive.com.au/.

The Andrews Labor Government is throwing a massive summer street party as part of a statewide celebration of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) communities.

The free street party will return to the corner of Fitzroy's Gertrude and Smith Streets on 12 February 2023, featuring live performances and a celebration of LGBTIQ+ arts and culture.

The event will be part of a statewide event demonstrating celebration and support of Victorian rainbow communities.

All Victorians will have the opportunity to express their pride and learn more about the great diversity of sexualities, genders and sex characteristics in Victoria.

The Labor Government is investing $6.8 million in making this statewide celebration a staple of Victoria’s events calendar over the next four years.

The Andrews Labor Government is investing $3 million in a new Homelessness Support Service to assist LGTBTIQ+ people in securing safe housing.
 
LGBTIQ+ people are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness as the rest of the population due to a myriad of factors including discrimination, family rejection and violence.
 
A dedicated program will help prevent and address homelessness by supporting homelessness services to improve their services for LGBTIQ+ Victorians.
 
As part of the program, new support workers will locate in both Melbourne and Ballarat to provide that service so that people can access support they need.

Get ready to celebrate Victoria’s Pride all around the state this summer.

The Andrews Labor Government are connecting and celebrating our lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) communities with a series of regional activities and events and a huge street party.

Under the new name of Victoria’s Pride, the revelry builds on the success of last summer’s state-wide events.

Melbourne’s Pride street party is all set to hit Gertrude and Smith streets again on Sunday 12 February and regional organisations are invited to apply for grants to host events.

Victoria’s Pride will be delivered in partnership with Midsumma, Australia’s leading LGBTIQ+ arts and cultural organisation.

These fantastic celebrations will be a fixture on summer party calendars for the next four years across the state, supported by $6.8 million of Victorian Government funding.

For regional organisations who want to apply for grants to hold events visit midsumma.org.au/regional-activation.

I was delighted to join the Indian Consul General, Dr Sushil Kumar to officially open the 2022 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, along with my colleague Sheena Watt, Member for Northern Metropolitan and Parliamentary Secretary for Housing.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne celebrates everything that’s great about our city and state.

Our culture. Our people. Our creativity.

And it’s an important acknowledgement of the remarkable cultural contribution of our Indian community here in Victoria – the largest in Australia.

This year’s festival offers a packed program of cinema and cultural events, showcasing the very best of Indian film to Victorian audiences, with more than 120 films across a range of genres.

Congratulations to Mitu and all her team, on their incredible job producing this year’s festival.

Aboriginal Victorians are being supported to care for Country with more than $1.9 million in new funding. 

The Victorian Government has awarded $337,000 to seven Traditional Owner-led projects through the 2022 Caring for Country Grants.
 
Projects funded by Caring for Country Grants will provide opportunities for Aboriginal communities to connect with Country, build capacity for environmental protection and integrate indigenous knowledge into land management.
 
Through the Landcare for Country Pilot program, more than $1.6 million has been awarded to Tati Tati Kaiejin Ltd, Barendji Gadjin Aboriginal Corporation and Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation to support connections with Landcare and environmental volunteering communities. 
 
Both programs support First Nations communities and Traditional Owners’ rights on Country to practice land management activities which play a key role in supporting self-determination. 

Building a house? You can now apply for a solar rebate to install solar panels on your new build.

Talk to your builder and an approved solar retailer so you can plan to have your solar installation completed before you move in.

The average home saves more than $1000 per year on power bills.

Join more than 200,000 Victorians who have already claimed a solar rebate to make their home more energy efficient.

Learn more at solar.vic.gov.au/solar-panel-rebate.

Excited to welcome Moderna to Melbourne!

Moderna’s first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Australia is to be housed at Monash University in Clayton.

Construction will commence later this year, with the new facility able to produce 100 million vaccines per year, creating a robust defence against future pandemics.

Swooping season is on its way.

Native birds, such as magpies and masked lapwings, may swoop for the next couple of months to defend their young, until they leave the nest.

Don’t wing it – here are some tips to avoid being swooped:

• Know your local swooping hotspots and avoid them
• Move quickly, but don't run
• Cover your head with a hat, helmet or umbrella
• Consider drawing a pair of ‘eyes’ on the back of your hat or helmet
• Never harass or feed wildlife

To report a swooping incident by any species of bird, mark its location on Victoria's swooping bird map, visit wildlife.vic.gov.au/managing-wildlife/swooping-birds.

The new funding is available to help Victoria’s wildlife volunteers look after sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife.

Applications for the Victorian Government’s Wildlife Rehabilitator Grants are now open with $230,000 available to support wildlife rehabilitators in Victoria.

Authorised wildlife shelter operators and foster carers can apply for grants of up to $3,000 for equipment, infrastructure, consumables, education, and training.

Wildlife rehabilitators play an important role by dedicating their own time and money to rescue and rehabilitate injured or displaced wildlife and release them back into the wild.

Applications close 6 September 2022.

For more information and to apply, visit wildlife.vic.gov.au/grants/wildlife-rehabilitator-grants.

Back in February 2021, the Victorian Government challenged environmental volunteer groups to give us their most innovative ideas for new ways of volunteering in and for the environment, through the Volunteering Innovation Fund.

The Andews Labor Government announced the final round of funding and congratulated the successful recipients on their creative, community-led projects that will foster a great future for the environment.

22 groups have been chosen by panel and Minister’s Choice and will share in more than $500,000 in funding to bring their creative project ideas to life.

Congratulations to Out Doors Inc. and The Grassy Plains Network from Wyndham. 

Submissions for the final round of the Volunteering Innovation Fund are currently open.

Applications close September 16 2022.

For more information, visit parks.vic.gov.au/vif.

Back in February 2021, the Victorian Government challenged environmental volunteer groups to give us their most innovative ideas for new ways of volunteering in and for the environment, through the Volunteering Innovation Fund.

The Andews Labor Government announced the final round of funding and congratulated the successful recipients on their creative, community-led projects that will foster a great future for the environment.

22 groups have been chosen by panel and Minister’s Choice and will share in more than $500,000 in funding to bring their creative project ideas to life.

Congratulations to Out Doors Inc. and The Grassy Plains Network from Wyndham. 

Submissions for the final round of the Volunteering Innovation Fund are currently open.

Applications close September 16 2022.

For more information, visit parks.vic.gov.au/vif.

In Australia there are over 116,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night.
 
Homelessness Week aims to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness on Australia via national and local community events, including providing information on the importance of housing as a solution and educating communities on how they can make a difference.

Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on 14 August.

It commemorates the day when Pakistan achieved independence and was declared a sovereign state following the end of the British Raj in 1947. 

2022 marked Pakistan's 75th year of independence.

India celebrates its Independence Day on 15 August.

The day marks the end of British rule in 1947 and the establishment of a free and independent Indian nation.

It is also the anniversary of the partition into India and Pakistan, which occurred at midnight on 14-15 August 1947. 

2022 marked India's 75th year of independence.

On 15 August we honoured Victory in the Pacific Day, commemorating the end of World War Two in 1945.

We remember all those who served and sacrificed in the war, and the lives lost or forever changed.

On 15 August 1945 Japan accepted unconditional surrender, marking the end of nearly six years of conflict and signalling that the Second World War was finally over.

Nearly 1 million Australians served in the armed forces during the war, more than 39,000 died and 30,000 were taken prisoner.

On hearing the news on the morning of Victory in the Pacific Day, Australians rejoiced.

In Melbourne 250,000 people celebrated in the streets, flinging scraps of paper into the air, yelling, cheering, singing and dancing.

They flocked to the Shrine of Remembrance for a thanksgiving service at noon and the festivities continued with a 100-gun military salute, 4,000 rockets fired, search lights flooded the sky and a grand Victory Ball was held at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Across Victoria, there were victory church services, pealing bells, concerts, balls and spontaneous gatherings over the two-day holiday.

Lest we forget.

The Krishna Janmashtami festival marks the birth of Krishna, one of the most popular deities worshipped by Hindus.

This festival is one of the most important events in the Hindu calendar.
 
At the 2021 census, 214,058 people in Victoria identified as adhering to Hinduism.

Thursday 18 August was Vietnam Veterans Day which commemorated all 60,000 Australians who served in Vietnam and the 30,000 who were wounded and remember the 521 who died in that conflict.

Vietnam Veterans Day is held on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.

Lest we forget.

We acknowledge 31 years of independence in Ukraine.

As Ukrainian people continue to face immeasurable hardship, loss, and sacrifice, it’s important to reflect that despite these challenges, Ukrainians continue to display immense bravery and strength.

We remembered this particularly on August 24, that is usually marked by celebrations.

Victorians stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainian communities here and around the world, and I encourage everyone to reflect on the importance of self-determination and human dignity today.