IRONING out anomalies experienced by Wodonga taxi drivers and school bus routes between the twin cities have been identified as quick fix aims for the incoming Victorian-based cross-border commissioner, Luke Wilson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Under present laws, Wodonga cabbies cannot take passengers back to Victoria after making a drop off in Albury with regional development minister Jaala Pulford acknowledging the situation was “crazy”.
“You apply the commonsense test to that and that is crazy isn’t it?” she said.
“The really important job our commissioner is going to have in the first six months or so is to develop a really clear view and recommendations to government about what we are going to work on and in what order.”
Ms Pulford also highlighted a school bus routes anomalies between Albury and Wodonga requiring a quick fix in consultation with NSW-based cross-border commissioner, James McTavish.
But the minister said Mr Wilson was responsible for the entire state.
“It was always my view we would find the perfect person and not get to hung up on the location,” she said.
“As minister for regional development and agriculture, people ask me where my office is and my answer generally is ‘in the car’.
“This is probably how this role is going to work.”
Mr Wilson starts in the role in mid-October and previously lived and worked in Myrtleford at the timber mill formerly known as Bowater Tissue.
“We’ve identified the quick wins and also some of the deeper issues,” he said.
“We will be working on both.
“I’m fully aware from my own background a lot of regulatory differences exist in some areas, but aren’t universal.”
Benambra MLA Bill Tilley welcomed the appointment.
“As a person who has lived and breathed border anomalies we have waited a long-time for this to happen,” he said.
“I don’t care where the commissioner is located, they will need to travel the length of our state boundaries because while some of these anomalies will be consistent there many others that are localised.”
Also on her visit to Wodonga, Ms Pulford announced $4 million towards Wodonga’s library-gallery upgrade.
The overall cost of the project is $10.2 million with council to source the balancing of the funding including allocations of still to be confirmed amounts in the next two financial years.
