77-681: Western Highway may refer to: Western Highway (Victoria) in Australia Western Highway (Belize) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about roads and streets with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_Highway&oldid=933247424 " Category : Road disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
154-484: A Member of the Legislative Assembly. Ministers and former ministers are entitled to the style " The Honourable " (abbreviated to "The Hon") although some choose not to use it. The government of the day sits on benches to the right of the presiding officer within each chamber, while the opposition sits to the left. Members of a house who are not part of either the official government or opposition sit on
231-503: A candidate for either House, except for: It is also not permitted to be a member of both houses or a candidate for election to both houses of Parliament. Members of Parliament may be addressed by their name or by using their electorate, for example "The Member for Hawthorn" or "Member for Southern Metropolitan Region", and are entitled to the postnominal letters MLC if a Member of the Legislative Council, and MLA or MP if
308-443: A committee is determined by the parliament, usually as a new parliament begins. Each committee contains members of many political parties, not just the governing parties, although the government still generally aims to give itself functional majorities within each committee. Lobbyists, members of the public and organisations communicate with committees in order to give input into the drafting of bills. The Parliament of Victoria outlines
385-407: A four-lane, dual-carriageway road, and begins bypassing most of the towns the old alignment of the highway used to serve, passing Ballarat , Ballan and Bacchus Marsh , before reaching the western fringes of suburban Melbourne outside Melton ; major intersecting roads are grade-separated, however there remain minor intersections at-grade, and cycling is permitted on the sealed shoulder along most of
462-426: A four-year term. Each region contains eleven divisions from the Legislative Assembly. The Council is elected using a single transferable vote with the option of group voting tickets. Casual vacancies are filled by a joint-sitting of both houses. The new member must be from the same party as the original member was at the time of their election. The Council's power has decreased over time, as its role has changed. It
539-582: A general rule, official government policy is based on advice given by a committee. This ensures further public input as committees consist of members from many parties. Bills are then drafted by the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel to ensure that all relevant clauses and technicalities in existing laws are covered. Any member, whether in government or otherwise, may draft their own bill. Bills are almost always tabled to Parliament by
616-500: A new bridge over the main Melbourne–Adelaide railway . Previously high vehicles could not travel under the rail overpass and were forced to detour around it, in addition the poor road conditions led to a number of accidents and fatalities. Costing $ 6.1 million the work was completed by 2003. As of 2017 , several at-grade intersections remained on the "freeway", particularly in the areas near Rockbank and at Woodmans Hill just to
693-752: A red gum tree for 4½ hours near Buangor , 74 kilometres (46 miles) west of Ballarat, to draw attention to the issue. Isabel Mackenzie, a long-term resident of the area, said she was concerned at the environmental impact of removing trees that are hundreds of years old. Helen Lewers said that VicRoads should reroute the highway between Buangor and Stawell to preserve the native roadside vegetation. Parliament of Victoria Opposition (27) Liberal (19) National (9) Crossbench (5) Greens (3) Independent ( 1 ) Independent Labor ( 1 ) Opposition (13) Liberal (11) National (2) The Parliament of Victoria
770-527: A regular routine. Each sitting day begins with a prayer, and also an acknowledgement to country in respect to Victoria's Indigenous people. A quorum must be present for a day's proceedings to be legally binding, so the presiding officer will generally wait until enough members are within the chamber before entering. Members may only speak in the chamber when given leave to do so by the presiding officer. A proposed petition, motion or bill can be introduced into either house, but in practice most are introduced into
847-748: A secret ballot within elections (a novelty within the British Empire at the time ), and ordering the construction of Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne. The Victorian Constitution was approved by the Legislative Council in March 1854. It was the sent to Britain where it was passed by the United Kingdom Parliament as the Victoria Constitution Act 1855. It was granted royal assent on 16 July 1855 and
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#1732773237130924-607: A state within the federated Australia . The Parliament may make laws for any matter within Victoria, subject to some referendum requirements in the Victorian Constitution . Its power is further limited by the ability for the federal laws to override state laws, subject to the Australian Constitution . State courts are responsible for interpreting the laws of Parliament, subject to appeal to
1001-412: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Western Highway (Victoria) Western Highway is a major arterial route in western Victoria with a length of approximately 258 kilometres (160 mi) of single carriageway, then 161 kilometres (100 mi) of dual carriageway known as Western Freeway , linking the western suburbs of Melbourne to
1078-676: Is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King , represented by the governor of Victoria , the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council . It has a fused executive drawn from members of both chambers. The parliament meets at Parliament House in the state capital Melbourne . The current Parliament
1155-519: Is therefore mathematically impossible for a speaker to pass such legislation with their casting vote, as the largest possible tied vote is 43:43. The president used to have the same power, but their role has changed over time. Consequently, the president now has a deliberative vote but not a casting vote. This is modelled on the Australian Senate and ensures that a region of Victoria would not be deprived of one of its five votes. A tied vote in
1232-542: The High Court of Australia . The parliament is also vested with other powers, such as the means to investigate matters, conduct research and summon witnesses. Government is formed by the party or parties who command confidence and supply within the Assembly. The leader of the governing party or parties is the premier , the most senior elected member of Victoria's executive government. Victorians do not directly elect
1309-889: The Parliament of Victoria provided for the establishment of the Country Roads Board (later VicRoads ) and their ability to declare Main Roads, taking responsibility for the management, construction and care of the state's major roads from local municipalities. (Main) Ballarat Road was declared a Main Road, from Footscray via Braybrook to Melton on 30 December 1913, and from Melton via Bacchus Marsh , Ballan and Bungaree to Ballarat East on 24 August 1914; Horsham (-Dimboola) Road from Horsham to Dimboola , (Dimboola-) Nhill Road between Dimboola and Nhill and Nhill-Kaniva-Border Road between Nhill through Kaniva to
1386-669: The Royal Exhibition Building . The building has undergone significant renovations since its initial construction as it has been expanded, repaired and restored over time. The first major works were conducted in the 1930s, using a £50,000 contribution from the Australian federal government paid in gratitude for the use of the building. Further construction was undertaken throughout the 1970s to make temporary offices for members of Parliament, although these were not modernised until further works began in 2015. Sections of
1463-432: The proportionally represented Legislative Council. The council is described as a house of review. Majorities in the Legislative Council are rare, so the government of the day must negotiate with other parties to pass much of its legislative agenda. All members serve four-year terms. The parliament's functions and processes have evolved over time, undergoing significant changes as Victoria changed from an independent colony to
1540-466: The 1890s, leading to further agitation for changes to the vote. This also led to voting within each chamber becoming more predictable, as strong party discipline began to form among party members, mostly aligned to three broad ideals: the labour movement, liberal movement and rural interests. Victoria's two-party system took hold, usually as a contest between the Labor Party and a coalition formed by
1617-405: The Assembly are filled by a by-election within the electorate. The Assembly functions as a representation of Victoria and commanding a majority within the Assembly provides a mandate for government policies. The Assembly is the only chamber authorised to draw funds from the public treasury, or to raise taxes, on its own initiative. Changes to taxation or funding for projects can still be debated by
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#17327732371301694-613: The Assembly, partly as a matter of convention and mostly due to the fact that bills not sponsored by the government are unlikely to be passed. A bill typically goes through three readings, each followed by a vote, before being presented to the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council primarily acts as a house of review. It has equal power to the Legislative of Assembly, except in relation to appropriation bills. It contains forty members , elected from eight multi-member electorates known as regions . Each region returns five members for
1771-773: The Ballarat to Beaufort section (running 25 kilometres (16 mi) in length), and on 17 April 2016 for the Beaufort to Buangor section (running 21 kilometres (13 mi) in length). The first section runs between the end of the Ballarat bypass between a new interchange with the Avenue of Remembrance (route C805) in Burrumbeet to just outside the eastern side Beaufort (including a bypass of Trawalla ) providing 156 kilometres (97 mi) of freeway standard road between Melbourne and Beaufort. The second section runs between just outside
1848-576: The Council, but the Assembly may always authorise funding for the ordinary operation of government without needing Council approval. If the Council does not pass the Assembly's budget within a month it is passed to the governor for royal assent regardless. This means that, unlike the Australian Senate , the other chamber of Victoria's parliament cannot block supply for government funding. The Assembly has increased in power over time compared to
1925-588: The Council. The governor does not enter the Assembly, in keeping with the Westminster tradition of regal and vice-regal persons not entering into the chamber modelled on the House of Commons . Bills passed by the Assembly must also pass the Council within the same form. Either house can propose amendments to bills and all bills and their amendments, with the exception of supply bills, must pass both houses. The Council may debate supply bills but cannot amend them. In
2002-533: The Country Party (now known as the Nationals ) and the more recent Liberal Party . The principle of ensuring that rural regions, which typically represented the landed gentry when Victoria first formed, were over-represented in parliament was also rescinded. One-man-one vote was adopted in 1899 in the Legislative Assembly, and expanded to the Legislative Council in 1937. Wealth requirements for voting in
2079-880: The Deer Park bypass in August 2006, work being carried out as a joint venture by Leighton Contractors and VicRoads , in construction with two contracts. The first stage, allowing westbound traffic over the new bridge at the Ravenhall end of the new freeway, opened in December 2007. It was announced on 4 March 2009 that the Deer Park Bypass would open in early April 2009, with the new freeway link on track to open more than eight months ahead of schedule. On that day, Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas and Federal Member for Gorton Brendan O'Connor MP inspected works from
2156-525: The Federal government for money spent on approved projects. As an important interstate link between the capitals of Victoria and South Australia, Western Highway was declared a National Highway in 1974. The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads : in 2004, VicRoads re-declared
2233-498: The Legislative Assembly has had 88 members elected for fixed four-year terms from single-member constituencies, using preferential voting . Fixed four-year terms were introduced for both houses in 2003, replacing the previous provision that allowed the government to expire after no more than four years. Parliament consists of the King and two houses: the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The governor acts on behalf of
2310-424: The Legislative Assembly to be elected by and from Railway Officers and similarly one seat for Public Officers , and one seat in the Legislative Council for both groups combined . In 1907, these four seats were abolished and such officers voted instead in their electoral district and province and were otherwise prohibited from political campaigning. Voting was initially restricted based on gender, though. Victoria
2387-452: The Legislative Assembly were removed in 1857, but this reform was not made to the Legislative Council until 1950. Furthermore, the method of voting was changed; first-past-the-post voting was replaced with preferential voting for the Legislative Assembly in 1911 and compulsory voting introduced in 1923. Meanwhile, the preferential voting was used for elections to the Legislative Council from 1921, and elections made compulsory in 1935. Voting
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2464-674: The Legislative Assembly. Any statute bill, with the exception of bills appropriating money for the ordinary annual services of government, must be passed by both Houses before being presented to the governor, who will sign the bill into law on behalf of the King . Ordinary appropriation bills need only be passed by the Legislative Assembly before being presented to the governor for royal assent. The parliamentary process extends beyond each chamber in turn. Proposed bills and motions will usually be passed separately within their party caucus before they are brought to Parliament. The governing party or parties will also generally only propose bills that have
2541-427: The Legislative Council. It is assumed that the government of the day will act upon the initiatives it campaigned on and the Assembly serves as a direct link between local members and each individual constituency. Furthermore, while it is not a requirement that ministers come from the Assembly, it is convention that more members of the executive branch sit within the Assembly than the Council. Most bills originate within
2618-668: The South Australian border, were declared as Main Roads on 17 March 1915; Ballarat-(Ararat-)Stawell Road between Ballarat West through Beaufort and Ararat to Stawell was declared a Main Road on 31 May 1915. The passing of the Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924 provided for the declaration of State Highways, roads two-thirds financed by the State government through the Country Roads Board. Western Highway
2695-457: The approval of the relevant minister, and which have already been agreed upon during a cabinet meeting. Cabinet members have large flexibility in drafting bills. They are nonetheless limited by policies that require them to propose bills only within their specific portfolios, and to only allow amendments to existing bills that are relevant to the bill in question. Input is sought from various public groups, private interests and public servants. As
2772-407: The assembly as a whole at official functions. The corresponding person in the Legislative Council is the president of the Legislative Council . Both the speaker and the president have important powers in controlling debate in their respective chambers, including the ability to punish members who step out of line or disobey their orders. The presiding officers also have powers to summon witnesses to
2849-418: The benches in between them, called the cross bench. This arrangement is used in the Legislative Council even though the governing parties rarely command a majority within it. The Government and Opposition appoint members as Managers of Government and Opposition Business in each house. These members are not within the control of the house in the same way that the president and speaker are, they are appointed by
2926-781: The border with South Australia at Serviceton . It is the Victorian part of the principal route linking the Australian cities of Melbourne and Adelaide , and is a part of the National Highway network, designated routes A8 and M8. The western end continues into South Australia as Dukes Highway , the next section of the Melbourne–Adelaide National Highway. Western Highway is the second-busiest national highway in Australia, in terms of freight movements, with over five million tonnes annually, and provides
3003-402: The chamber to assist in the legislative role of Parliament. The presiding officers also oversee votes within their respective chambers and provide proof of assent in the instance that a bill is passed. This proof is needed for a bill to be presented to the governor for royal assent. The presiding officers' voting roles are different. The speaker of the Assembly only has a casting vote, while
3080-522: The committee process as: The government will usually be given six months to respond to the committee's recommendations. As they need as broad an understanding as possible of the issues at hand, committees may perform inquiries with the authority to subpoena documents and summon witnesses. This assists with research and is a means of holding parties to account. Committees have broad powers when performing inquiries although there are some legal protections in place for witnesses, similar to those for witnesses in
3157-549: The completion of the Western Ring Road , the project stalled due to funding quarrels between the Federal and State Governments. In 2004, the Federal government announced that the Deer Park Bypass would be built as part of a $ 1.4 billion project "package grant" to Victoria . It was anticipated that more than 15 min of travel time would be saved when travelling through Deer Park, via Ballarat Road. Construction started on
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3234-441: The council is considered to have failed to pass regardless of how the president cast their vote. The president does not need to move to one end of the chamber during a division, but instead advises the clerk which way they are voting. Committees are made of members of either house. They have a specifically defined role designed to seek community input about ideas or to investigate matters Parliament deems important. The membership of
3311-472: The east of Ballarat . Duplication of Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell was proposed to be completed between 2009 and 2014, to be funded by Auslink 2. At the end of 2016, some parts were still in early planning, including the bypasses at Beaufort and Ararat. The clearing of wide swathes of the ancient red gums by VicRoads near Beaufort resulted in expressions of community concern, including public meetings. In 2015, two women chained themselves to
3388-442: The event that the Council does not pass a budget within a month of it passing the Assembly it is passed onto the governor for royal assent regardless of how (or even if) the Council voted on it. The speaker of the Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly. The speaker is an elected member of the parliament and is chosen by the members of the Legislative Assembly to chair their meetings and represent
3465-610: The first Victorian Parliament was held during the spring of 1856, the first Victorian Members of Parliament met on 21 November 1856 in the recently completed Parliament House and were sworn in, and on 25 November 1856 the first Victorian Parliament was officially opened by acting governor Major-General Edward Macarthur . The Legislative Council consisted of thirty members representing six Provinces, each province returning five members. The Legislative Assembly consisted of sixty members representing thirty-seven multi and single-member electorates. Although Indigenous Australians were denied
3542-399: The five years to 2010. More than 29,000 vehicles, including more than 4000 freight vehicles, travelled the highway section daily. The new route opened to traffic on 27 June 2011, nine months ahead of schedule. The project included: The original project scope included a diamond interchange at Bulmans Road that has not been built, while the ramps at Hopetoun Park Road were not included but
3619-576: The freeway. The freeway continues through the suburbs of Rockbank and Ravenhall , before eventually terminating at the interchange with Western Ring Road in Derrimut . Plans are underway for the end of this freeway to be extended from the current terminus just after the Buangor bypass westward towards and eventually to Stawell . The passing of the Country Roads Act of 1912 through
3696-455: The judicial system. The different types of committees are: joint investigatory committees , comprising members of both houses, standing committees , comprising members of the Legislative Council, select committees , comprising members of one house or the other, and domestic committees , which are generally closed to the public as they concern matters of the parliament itself. Parliament's current committees are: Parliamentary days follow
3773-411: The late 1990s, the section between Burrumbeet and Ardeer (where it met the Western Ring Road ) was re-signed as National Highway M8, and between Burrumbeet and the border as National Highway A8; it was left as National Highway 8 east of the ring road along its original alignment into central Melbourne. Once the Deer Park bypass was opened in 2009, National Route M8 was re-routed onto the new bypass and
3850-488: The link between the eastern seaboard and South Australia and Western Australia. Western Highway commences at the state border with South Australia as a continuation of Dukes Highway at Victoria and heads in a south-easterly direction as a two-lane, single carriageway rural highway with numerous overtaking lanes and passes through the agricultural centres of Nhill , Horsham , Stawell and Ararat . Just west of Buangor , Western Highway becomes Western Freeway and widens to
3927-407: The members were distributed evenly, rather than a mixture of single and multi-member districts as the chamber was at its creation. The Legislative Assembly has similarly fluctuated in size over time. It contained 60 seats within its first iteration in 1856, eventually growing to as many as 95 by 1900. It was not until 1958 when all divisions were up for election at the same time, though, when all of
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#17327732371304004-602: The monarch. All members of both houses are elected for fixed four-year terms. General elections are held on the last Saturday in November every four years with the parliament expiring on the Tuesday twenty-five days before the election. The most recent general election was held on 26 November 2022. Parliament can be dissolved earlier by the governor, and a general election called, in two exceptional circumstances: Anyone enrolled to vote in Victoria can stand for election as
4081-509: The new bridge over the Ring Road at Sunshine West and Tim Pallas announced that the $ 331 million Deer Park Bypass would open to the public on Sunday 5 April 2009. The section of road through Anthony's Cutting between Bacchus Marsh and Melton was one of the most dangerous sections of the route, and was not of modern freeway standard. The steep hills and tight curves along the 5 kilometre long stretch of road resulted in 21 serious crashes in
4158-647: The old alignment of Western Highway between Ravenhall and Footscray was re-declared as Ballarat Road and replaced with Metropolitan Route 8; VicRoads altered National Highway M8 to route M8 and National Highway A8 to route A8 in 2013, bringing their design in line with the rest of the state. Route M8 was extended further west when the next section of converted freeway to Buangor opened in 2016. Former alignments of Western Highway are generally designated sequentially from route C801 to C805, or as Metropolitan Route 8 (within suburban Melbourne). The newest sections of freeway-standard dual carriageway opened on 6 March 2015 for
4235-417: The premier and ministers are accountable to Parliament and must face questioning and scrutiny from Parliament. The Assembly schedules question time and has time and subject limits on the ways that Ministers must respond to matters raised to them by any other member of the Assembly. It consists of eighty-eight members who are elected for four-year terms using full preferential voting . Casual vacancies in
4312-484: The premier and the leader of the Opposition respectively. Each party represented in each house appoints a member as their party whip . The whip's main duty is to ensure that all of the members of their party are present within a chamber when a formal vote takes place. The Legislative Assembly is the house of government, in that the government of the day must command a majority of support in this chamber. Furthermore,
4389-533: The premier, and the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor. Jacinta Allan has been the premier since her selection as leader of the Labor Party on 27 September 2023. Parliament has sat at Parliament House, Melbourne since 1856, with the exception of the period 1901–1927, when Parliament House was used by the Federal Parliament and the Parliament of Victoria sat at
4466-519: The president of the Council only has a deliberative vote. The speaker may therefore only vote when a matter is tied, with their casting vote determining the outcome. This is consistent with the Westminster tradition of the speaker acting as an impartial arbiter. Some pieces of legislation, such as altering the Constitution, require an absolute majority (45 of the 88 possible votes) to pass. It
4543-760: The project would receive serious consideration for funding in the 2009 AusLink document, subject to support from the State Government. Construction commenced in February 2010, funded by $ 160 million from the Australian Government and $ 40 million from the Victorian Government. In 2001 work started on a 4.2 kilometre long deviation at Armstrong (on the Adelaide side of Ararat), involving 200,000 cubic metres of earthworks and
4620-402: The road as Western Highway (Arterial #6520) between the border with South Australia at Serviceton and Buangor , and as Western Freeway (Freeway #1520) between Buangor and Western Ring Road , Derrimut . Western Highway was signed as National Route 8 in 1955, then as National Highway 8 when upgraded to a National Highway in 1974. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in
4697-399: The strong population growth of about 8.7 per cent and subdivision in Deer Park and Sunshine, the surrounding suburbs and the seven traffic signals between the Western Ring Road and the start of Western Freeway, substantial long and very frustrating delays were created for the 70,000 vehicles per day with 10 per cent of this consisting of heavy vehicles. The bypass had been proposed since
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#17327732371304774-713: The structure's outer walls have gradually been replaced over time. Prior to 1851 the area of Australia now known as Victoria was part of the colony of New South Wales and was administered by the Government of New South Wales in Sydney . On 5 August 1850, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Australian Colonies Government Act which made provision for the separation of Victoria from New South Wales. Enabling legislation
4851-506: The then 66 seats were contested. The Assembly reached 88 seats in 1985 and has remained at this number ever since. Until November 2006, the Legislative Council had 44 members serving eight-year terms, elected from single-member constituencies, with half the seats falling vacant every four years. Since then it has had 40 members, each serving four-year terms. They are elected from eight multi-member constituencies, each returning five members, and elected by proportional representation. Since 2006,
4928-468: The vote in some states, Victoria did not directly legislate voting based on race. Therefore, Indigenous Victorian men were entitled to vote from 1857, provided they met the other requirements. Furthermore, Indigenous Victorians who enrolled to vote in Victoria were allowed to vote in federal elections from 1901. The 1903 constitution, similar to the functional constituencies in China, reserved two seats in
5005-548: The western side of Beaufort to just after the Buangor bypass, where it becomes a single carriageway again running all the way to Ararat , providing a further 21 kilometres (13 mi) of freeway standard between Beaufort and just beyond Buangor. The Melbourne section of Western Highway is shown in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan as part of the F12 Freeway corridor. The Deer Park Bypass opened on 5 April 2009 in
5082-538: The western suburbs of Melbourne . The freeway links Western Freeway at Ravenhall and the Western Ring Road in Derrimut . This 9.3 kilometre freeway was estimated to cost A$ 333 million which also includes a grade separated (or "full diamond") interchange at Leakes Road in Rockbank . The purpose of the freeway bypass is to move traffic off Ballarat Road , which leads to the Western Ring Road. Due to
5159-474: Was declared a State Highway on 1 July 1925, cobbled from a collection of roads from Melbourne through Ballarat, Ararat, Stawell, Horsham, and Dimboola to the interstate border at Serviceton (for a total of 244 miles), subsuming the original declarations of Main Ballarat Road, Ballarat-Stawell Road, Horsham-Dimboola Road, Dimboola-Nhill Road, and Nhill-Kaniva-Border Road as Main Roads. Western By-pass Road
5236-434: Was elected on 26 November 2022, sworn in on 20 December 2022 and is the 60th parliament in Victoria. The two Houses of Parliament have 128 members in total, 88 in the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and 40 in the Legislative Council (upper house). Victoria has compulsory voting and uses full preferential voting in single-member seats for the Legislative Assembly, and single transferable vote in multi-member seats for
5313-541: Was further expanded in 1973, when the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. The minimum age for membership of either house was also lowered to 18. The number of divisions within each of the chambers was gradually increased over time. The Legislative Council was expanded from 30 members representing 6 provinces to its peak of 48 members spread throughout 14 provinces by 1888. The number of both provinces and members continued to change until it remained relatively fixed by 1974, when 44 members represented 22 provinces. Furthermore,
5390-568: Was initially a means of suppressing democratic reforms, particularly since the more representative Assembly was seen as too liberal and radical. It now serves as a house of review, more closely modelled on the Australian Senate than on the United Kingdom's House of Lords . Majorities within the Council are rare by design, while minority interest groups are more likely to be elected than within the Assembly, encouraging debate and compromise. The governor's opening address to Parliament occurs in
5467-448: Was later added. The extension of Woolpack Road has been delayed due to controversy over need to clear trees in the heritage listed Avenue of Honour at Bacchus Marsh. Realignment of the road through this section had been proposed far back as 2001, when a group of 10 local councils said the realignment could cost just $ 65 million to build. By 2006 the cost was estimated to be $ 85 million, with federal Roads Minister Jim Lloyd stating that
5544-462: Was opened in 1969 through Pykes Creek Reservoir, but this was being referred to as Western Freeway by the time the Gordon and Bacchus Marsh bypasses were completed in 1972. The Whitlam government introduced the federal National Roads Act 1974 , where roads declared as a National Highway were still the responsibility of the states for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated by
5621-477: Was passed by the Parliament of New South Wales, and Victoria was formally created a separate colony of the United Kingdom on 1 July 1851. The Australian Colonies Government Act provided for the colony to be administered by a lieutenant-governor and a Legislative Council of 51 members, 21 of which were to be elected and the remainder appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. The lieutenant-governor
5698-560: Was presented to the parliament. This petition was proudly used as a promotional tool for the federation of Australia. The newly federated nation allowed women to vote in elections, as well as stand for office, since 1902. Yet Victoria did not expand its suffrage to include women until 1908, nor allow women to stand for office until 1924. The first woman was not elected into the Victorian Parliament until 1933. Political parties began to increase in size and influence throughout
5775-527: Was proclaimed in Victoria on 23 November 1855. The constitution established the Westminster-style system of responsible government that continues in Victoria today. It further stipulated several preconditions on voting that have since been rescinded such as restricting voting to only men of at least 21 years of age who met minimum wealth standards. Rural districts were also very over-represented in order to favour large landowners. The election for
5852-436: Was subordinate in some matters to the governor of New South Wales , who was given the title governor-general . The Legislative Council met for the first time in November 1851 at St Patrick's Hall, Melbourne. The first Legislative Council existed for five years and was responsible for at least three significant and enduring contributions to the parliamentary system of Victoria: drafting the first Constitution of Victoria, ensuring
5929-454: Was the last state within Australia to intentionally recognise female voters. The Electoral Act 1863 granted the vote to all rate payers, which included some women at the time. Therefore, women were legally allowed to, and indeed did, vote in the election of 1864. The act was clarified in 1865 to exclude women. Agitation for allowing women to vote began in earnest in 1891, with presentation of an immense petition containing over 30,000 signatures
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