Rachel spoke about her recent visit to South East Community Links (SECL). South East Community Links provide a range of services and supports to enhance individual wellbeing and foster a sense of community in the South-Eastern suburbs.
Rachel asked the government for a commitment to continue funding Southside Justice’s legal program for sex workers. As one of only two services of its kind in the country, this program has provided legal assistance to workers in the sex industry since 2022. Funding is set to cease in December, which will impede access to trauma-informed legal assistance for common issues such as non-payment and assault.
Rachel asked the Minister for Corrections to stop lockdowns at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. Usually reserved for emergency situations, women in these prisons have been frequently kept in states of solitary confinement due to changes in administrative processes and rostering.
After an independent review in 2023, the North Richmond precinct revitalisation interdepartmental committee was established to provide enhanced outreach services. Rachel asked the government if the committee is appropriately addressing community concerns and ensuring facility improvements meet community needs.
Waste company Veolia have been denied a permit to construct a waste transfer station in Hampton Park. An environmental impact assessment by the EPA noting “unacceptable risks to human health”. Despite this, Veolia are now appealing the decision through VCAT based on a minor technicality. Speaking on behalf of concerned residents, Rachel sought assurance from the Minister that this project will not go ahead.
Rachel spoke about her recent meeting with the Greater Dandenong Anti-Poverty Consortium, to focus on sustainable solutions for systemic change.
With the government investing $727 million in Victoria’s justice system, Rachel asked the Minister for Corrections about therapeutic services for those in correctional facilities. Since tighter bail restrictions are increasing incarceration rates, Rachel expressed the need for therapeutic supports in prisons to prevent re-offending and promote better outcomes.
Rachel asked the Minister for Health to ensure that the regulation of IVF is on the national agenda. The Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) was dissolved at the end of 2024. With news of embryo mix-ups and a 2022 report by the Victorian Agency for Health Information suggesting that IVF clinics might be under-reporting dangerous incidents, there are major concerns around the regulation of assisted reproductive treatment.
Rachel asked the Attorney-General when the government will implement recommendation 24, as stated in the “2022 Government Response to the Recommendations of the Inquiry into responses to historical forced adoption in Victoria.”
Rachel spoke on the Wrongs Amendment (Vicarious Liability) Bill 2025, which was debated on Wednesday the 14th of May. This bill was presented by Rachel on behalf of Legalise Cannabis Victoria, intending to close a legal loophole impacting victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse.
