IN A strong move, Shepparton District’s Nationals Member, Kim O’Keeffe, has taken to Parliament to challenge V/Line’s recent vending machine agreement with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. O’Keeffe is urging Public and Active Transport Minister, Gabrielle Williams, to reconsider the decision, which threatens to disrupt a local business that has been a community staple for more than 20 years.
The business in question, Goulburn Valley Vending Service, owned by Greg Coghlan, has been servicing snack and beverage machines at two regional V/Line sites, including the Shepparton Railway Station. The new agreement gives Coghlan a mere 30-day notice to vacate, effectively ending his operations.
“Greg and his team have been a part of our local economy, providing a reliable service for 25 years and employing local staff,” O’Keeffe stated. She highlighted the decision’s adverse impact on small businesses and called it, “a classic example of the Allan Labor Government neglecting Victorian small local businesses.”
O’Keeffe underscored the importance of small businesses, calling them the “backbone of communities,” and criticised the abrupt transition and lack of support for affected local businesses. She concluded by asking Minister Williams to retract the “appalling decision.”
