Shepparton recently hosted Paul Murray Live’s Our Town series.
The television host and political commentator arrived in Shepparton last week, eager to explore the town and connect with our community.
“(Shepparton is) a beautiful Victorian country town. There’s nothing like it around the rest of the country,” Mr Murray said.
“Our main focus is to hang out over the weekend.
“I won’t pretend to be somebody who knows it (Shepparton) like the back of my hand.
“The reality is that I want to learn about the place like the audience does.”
Mr Murray said during his research on Shepparton, he discovered the town had invested significantly in public art, well-maintained parks and public spaces.
He highlighted these initiatives as indicative of a city’s priorities.
He also expressed concern about crime rates in regional Australia and emphasised the importance of addressing the issue without perpetuating a cycle of incarceration.
“I’m glad to see that when doing our research that crime was a little bit down, but it’s disheartening to know that it can be so high as well,” he said.
“You don’t want to get caught in that vicious cycle of constantly locking up only a certain section of the population because, guess what, they end up going to criminal TAFE, and nothing happens after.
“It ends up in a spiral.”
However, despite these challenges, Mr Murray recognised the allure of regional Australia and Shepparton specifically.
“There’s a reason people live in Shepparton, and they don’t want to live in Fitzroy,” he said.
“There’s a reason that they’re living here, and they don’t want to live in Sydney.”
Regarding the October 2022 floods, Mr Murray praised the indomitable spirit of the Australian people.
“The optimism of people, for want of a better term, and try to avoid the cliché, but the Aussie spirit is ‘yeah, okay, just get on with it’,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the challenges faced by those who had endured repeated hardships. Still, he stressed the importance of community support in times of crisis.
Mr Murray also touched upon the role of government in disaster response and recovery.
Reflecting on his critical stance during the COVID-19 pandemic, he voiced his concerns about the regional shutdowns imposed by Victorian Premier Dan Andrews.
“The idea that it was a lockdown because something was happening a couple of hundred K’s (kilometres) down the road was madness,” he said.
He also expressed frustration with the lack of support for flood-affected communities.
“You’ve got Canberra people who’ve spent years banging on that not enough is being done for floods, and then 12 months later when they’ve been in charge — guess what — nothing’s being done for some people on floods,” he said.
Mr Murray further highlighted the potential impact of increased taxes on businesses and the subsequent risk of driving away big employers from cities such as Shepparton.
Overall his visit to Shepparton was an engaging and eye-opening experience for both Mr Murray and the town’s residents.