MEMBER for Mildura Jade Benham has vowed to visit Robinvale’s sister city Villers-Bretonneux herself to “rescue Robinvale’s reputation”.
On Sunday, Ms Benham announced that she would travel to the town in northern France in April in a bid “to save my town’s honour and moral integrity”, and intended to go regardless of Swan Hill Council’s final decision on Tuesday.
Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the initial choice to decline the Villers-Bretonneux invitation was disconnected from the real world.
Mr Walsh said the council “seems incapable of reading the room”, while Ms Benham said the snub was a “disgrace and an international embarrassment”.
Ms Benham told Sunraysia Daily that many Robinvale residents felt infuriated, and the failure of an unscheduled meeting last week to overturn the decision due to insufficient councillors turning up was “ridiculous”.
“I’m just so infuriated with the feeling of out of sight, out of mind, particularly on this issue, particularly with how strong the connection is between sister cities,” she said.
Ms Benham said she would finance her trip herself.
She said it was “probably not necessary that I go” if the mayor was allowed to attend, but she did not think it would be “overkill”.
“(It’s) probably not necessary that I go, but again I’m going to take directions from the Villers-Bretonneux Association on this and I think the more representation from Robinvale, the better,” she said.
“Pre-COVID, we had a contingent of over 60 people from Villers-Bretonneux visit Robinvale. So the fact that there might be three or four of us going to represent Robinvale, I don’t think is overkill.
“I’m going to listen to the community on this and not just say ‘this is what I’m going to do’ if the community actually don’t think it’s required or don’t want me to go, but at this stage I’m committed to going.”
On Monday, Cr King said it was “probably appropriate” for a state MP to attend the sister-city celebrations, particularly given the upcoming centenary of Robinvale later this year, and the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship.
“By a state MP attending that event, it highlights the importance of the relationship and the importance of the history,” he said.
