By DANIELLE GALVIN
LOCAL MP Edward O’Donohue has leapt to the defence of Kooweerup following some unfavourable comments about the town and its community centre.
In an article in Tuesday’s Herald Sun, Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs was quoted as saying the $60,000 lavish party hosted by the federal human rights watchdog last December was a reasonable expense.
“We don’t want to be in a village hall in Kooweerup just because we haven’t got a lot of money,” she said.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Crime Prevention Minister and Pakenham-based MP Mr O’Donohue said he wanted to defend the “beautiful town” of Kooweerup.
“Kooweerup is a fantastic town – one of the most productive farming areas in the south-east of Melbourne,” he said.
“It is the asparagus capital of Australia – more asparagus is grown there than in any other part of Australia – but it is also a very productive region for dairy, beef and a range of other produce.
“The people of Kooweerup are very community minded, and there are some fantastic community organisations in Kooweerup.”
Mr O’Donohue urged Dr Triggs to visit the town, see what a great place it is and to visit the “village hill” she referred to.
“With my colleagues from the other place, the Deputy Premier and the member for Bass, I was pleased to be at the Kooweerup town hall on 28 February to hear the announcement that Kooweerup is getting natural gas connected,” he said.
“However, it seems that not everybody likes Kooweerup.
“I would invite Dr Triggs to apologise to the people of Kooweerup.”
Mr O’Donohue said the township committee has been a fierce advocate for the interests of the town and the State Government was pleased to deliver the Kooweerup Bypass and delivering the capital upgrade for the Kooweerup Secondary College.
