MEMBERS STATEMENT: COVID-19

Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for the Coordination of Treasury and Finance: COVID-19) (09:49): I rise to acknowledge the thousands of families in my electorate of Werribee who stepped up to help stop this deadly spread of coronavirus. I particularly want to thank the local school communities, Werribee businesspeople and health workers across Melbourne’s west. The coronavirus impact on the City of Wyndham has been profound and Werribee has been hurt more than most Victorian communities because of this virus. But the numbers in Wyndham have dropped significantly, down from a peak of 942 active cases on 9 August to just 24 cases today. We would not be getting through to a new COVID normal without the many thousands of Werribee residents doing the right thing, and for that I thank them. Despite these trying circumstances, our hardworking teachers are continuing to deliver the outstanding education that Werribee students deserve, while our dedicated and diligent healthcare professionals continue to help Werribee residents remain safe, stopping the spread of coronavirus and saving lives in our community. The global pandemic has hit business hard and Werribee is no exception. Our government’s massive support packages will see cash grants, tax relief and cash flow support delivered to Victorian businesses, and I thank the Werribee business leaders for the way that they have worked together to keep our community safe as we drive coronavirus cases down and we work towards a new COVID normal. I also thank the great community of Werribee for its resilience and its work to keep all Victorians safe.