The Sisters dairyfarmer, Jill Porter, who was a guest of the Year 7/8 “Have your say” Politics class, emphasized that if you care deeply enough about your community or family that it was worth going into battle for it. Jill described how she and her husband Brad were impacted by the 2018 St Patrick’s Day fires which were caused by a faulty power pole on her neighbor’s property. Students learnt the biggest fire risk is during distribution to users rather than generation and transmission and the role of the State Government and the regulatory body, Energy Safety Victoria, (ESV) which has not bought Powercor or other National Distribution Businesses (NDB) into line with community expectations regarding a safe and reliable energy distribution network. Jill has since led the charge for Powercor maintenance reform and legislative review so that this did not happen to other rural communities. She challenged students that if they, “believed in something, or researched something strongly enough, that your opinion counts, even if you are not a big company and your voice should be heard” and that it was important to be respectful and question the government bodies and private corporations with integrity. The class presented Jill with an Appreciation certificate and a lavender heat pack from our lavender farm for what was definitely a highlight for students and teachers. Thanks Jill Comments are closed.
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March 2024
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