Sam Birrell MP

Great to join Senator Bridget McKenzie at a forum to discuss proposed changes to firearm laws and what they mean for law-abiding owners in this region.

The 100 strong crowd included industry representatives, farmers, sporting shooters, pest managers, hunters and and collectors from across Nichollswho shared their concerns about being locked out of consulation on an issue that directly affects them.

Firearm regulation is a shared responsibility between state and federal governments, and that overlap is creating real confusion for regional owners who are simply trying to follow the rules.

Firearm ownership is already highly regulated and those at the forum expressed their concern that further restrictions are being pursued rather than resourcing enforcement of the current regulations.

💦 WATER BUYBACKS ARE LAZY POLITICS 💦

Today the Labor Government has pushed forward with its dreadful policy of extracting an additional 450 gigalitres from the Murray-Darling Basin.
The Government has reported 380GL has now been purchased with another substantial, unnecessary buyback.
But there has been no acknowledgement of who paid the price.
Buybacks drain water from farming communities, irrigators, reduce productive capacity, and hollow out the regional economies that depend on agriculture.
For a decade, Labor accused the former Coalition Government of inaction on the 450GL.
Now Labor is in power, the method it has chosen to recover water is to buy it off communities and point to the numbers as if it's something to celebrate.
This is a lazy policy that does not improve the water system. It is just an attempt to deliver the Basin Plan at any cost.
You cannot compensate a town and its small businesses for the loss of its agricultural base with a grant program and a press release.
The consumptive pool needs to be increased through smarter water usage and infrastructure upgrades, which is the Coalition’s plan.
Basin communities deserve better than a Government that treats water and regional people’s livelihoods as commodities for trade.
The Liberals and Nationals have a plan for a better water system, beyond the Basin Plan.
We will ban any further buybacks, and further reductions to the amount of water available for productive use. There will be no more water recovery, by stealth, regulation, or intervention.
We will reinstall the socio-economic neutrality test. These socio-economic considerations will extend beyond the farm gate to the community.
We will ensure there are no further reductions to the consumptive pool.
We will seek to increase the consumptive pool by delivering efficient water infrastructure to secure the future of Basin communities. We will also prioritise the maintenance and repair of ageing water infrastructure across Australia.
We will reform the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) to make it transparent and accountable, to restore trust in the Government’s water holdings.
And, we will develop a detailed Murray-Darling Basin policy framework and administrative options incorporating the balance between environmental health and socio-economic outcomes.
This should not and cannot be about delivering the Basin Plan regardless of the detrimental effects of this Canberra-centric policy push.
Regional people and their livelihoods matter. The Nationals will always stand up for our country communities and against bad policy … and water buybacks are bad policy and lazy politics.

Shadow Minister for Water Michael McCormack MP visited Nicholls today to hear directly from dairy farmers, orchardists, irrigation leaders and Greater Shepparton City Council about the damage Labor's water buybacks are doing to our region.

We toured the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District and met with Goulburn Broken CMA CEO Carl Walters and the GMID Water Leadership Forum, before sitting down with the Mayor, CEO and councillors of Greater Shepparton City Council.

We visited dairy farmer Natalie Akers and the team at Loxleigh Jerseys in Tallygaroopna, and Fruit Growers Victoria Chair Mitch McNab at McNab Orchards Pty Ltd in Ardmona.

McNab Orchards is a place I know well, having worked there in my early 20s. Mitch is a fifth-generation stone fruit, apple and pear grower with 340 acres of some of the best fruit in the world. He told us plainly: without reliable access to irrigation water, decisions to plant and grow cannot be made.

We heard the same message at every stop; water is the backbone of this region. Without it, dairy herds shrink, orchards don't get planted, and businesses that depend on production close their doors.

The Murray-Darling Basin produces 40% of Australia's food and 60% of its fruit. Labor's removal of the buyback cap, its pursuit of an additional 450 gigalitres, and its decision to cut $103 million from the National Water Grid in the last budget is threatening the future of communities like ours.

The moment water becomes uncertain or unaffordable for farmers, production starts to leave and it does not come back.

I have met with Water Minister Murray Watt and have tried to explain how the system works and what damage is being done. I won't stop until we can get a resolution that locks in our prosperity here in the GV.

As I said, I had the opportunity to work on the McNab orchard and learn valuable agricultural skills. I want the next generations to have the same opportunity.

Halt the buybacks. Grow the consumptive pool. Invest in the infrastructure this region depends on.

Meet Will from

Will is just 22 and started Peak Plaster close to 10 months ago. He is already building a name for quality plastering and rendering work in Kilmore and across northeast Victoria.

Small businesses like Will's are the backbone of our towns and our region.

Starting your own trade business at 22 takes real courage, and it reflects the drive we see in young people right across Nicholls.

Wishing Will and the team every success.

Year 10, 11 and 12 students, this one is for you.

The My First Speech competition is open, and it asks a question worth thinking about. If you had just been elected to Parliament, what would you say?

Students write a 3-minute speech on a topic they're passionate about. The winner from each year level earns an expenses-paid trip to Canberra to deliver their speech at Parliament House, plus a $250 prize pack.

I know there are young people right across Nicholls with plenty to say about the future of our region. This is a chance to say it where it counts.

Entries close Monday 20 July. Details and entry at www.aph.gov.au/mfs

Applications are now open for the Australia Post Community Grants programme.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for not-for-profit organisations running locally led projects that help people connect and support mental wellbeing in their community.

This year there is also an additional $250,000 in funding for projects building resilience in disaster-impacted communities. With towns across Nicholls having faced fires and floods in recent years, I would encourage local groups to take a close look at this stream.

Applications close 6 July 2026. Find out more at auspost.com.au/grants.

Community Grants Program The Australia Post Community Grants program funds projects that boost mental wellbeing and connection in local communities. Learn how to apply.

Meet Phil Podbury.

Phil is 83 years old, has completed 180 parkruns, and still runs 5km most Saturday mornings at a very good pace.

I ran with Phil at Shepparton parkrun on Sunday and he made me work for it.

It's Men's Health Week and Men's Mental Health Month, and Phil is as good an example as I can think of of the value of staying active, staying connected, and taking care of your health.

Blokes in regional areas are often the last to talk about how they're going, and the last to book in to see a doctor about it.

So this week, ask the question. Have the conversation. Book the check-up you've been putting off.

Too many good men leave it too late.

There is something special about Kilmore's coffee culture, and Ah Raffaele is a big part of it.

This local cafe is run by a Kilmore duo passionate about connecting with people through good food and quality coffee. The name comes from a family story, with Nonna calling out to Nonno in the garden, "Ah Raffaele! Coffee is served!"

This month they are celebrating four years in business. Congratulations to the team, and thank you for everything you bring to the Kilmore community.

Go Socceroos!!!

Watching this big game at the Shepparton showgrounds!!!

There is something special happening with live music in Shepparton.

The Winter Sessions returns to The Vault on 19 and 20 June, two candlelit nights of original music in the heart of town.

JL Productions have built something the whole region can be proud of; an intimate music series supporting regional and emerging artists through the colder months.

Tickets are on sale now at www.thewintersessions.com

Live music brings people together, and Shepparton does it as well as anywhere.