Federal MHR Helen Haines’s office is failing the people of Kinglake, and the southern part of the Indi electorate.

Dr Haines’s office this week placed advertisements about ‘Indi grants’ in the Mansfield, Alexandra and Yea paid-newspapers.

However, a deliberate decision was made by Dr Haines’s office not advertise in The Local Paper, which is the only local Murrindindi newspaper to have meaningful readership numbers in the Kinglake-Pheasant Creek-Toolangi area.

The ‘Indi grants’ advertisements draw attention to grants ranging from $2500 to $20,000, provided for on-ground environmental projects under the Communities Environment Program.

The advertisement also calls attention to the Federal Government’s Stronger Communities Program, which offers dollar-for-dollar grants for community participation projects.

Kinglake is one of Australia’s most neediest and disadvantaged areas, particularly after the 2009 fires.

Jamie Kronborg, Media and Communications Adviser for Dr Haines, acknowledged that a deliberate decision was made not to include The Local Paper in the MP’s advertising schedule.

“At this stage I’m satisfied that the Alexandra Standard and Yea Chronicle provide significant circulation exposure for these grants and these mastheads’ advertising rates are highly competitive,” Mr Kronborg said. “Local councils also have a role in reviewing expressions of interest for these grants from all parts of the electorate.”

In a subsequent email, Mr Kronborg claims confidentiality over his remarks. He says his words are not for publication. We disagree. At no stage have we agreed to confidentiality. We believe that Mr Kronborg, and Dr Haines’s office, need to be accountable for their decisions in regard to expenditure of public monies.

In his second email, Mr Kronborg directs a jibe – “Do you hector everybody?” at Local Paper editor Ash Long.

Mr Long, who next month celebrates 50 years in the media, said he was not going to be bullied by a paid public servant.

According to the Victorian Country Press Association, the latest print run figures for The Yea Chronicle has fallen to 547 copies. The Standard’s circulation is down to 1534 copies. Electronic copies of those newspaper are hidden behind a paywall; there are few digital subscribers.

The Standard quotes its advertising rates at $6.70 per column centimetre. The Chronicle quotes its advertising rates at $6.70 per column centimetre. The Local Paper has one casual rate ($7.50cm) for its total circulation, which is more than double that of The Standard, and more six times that of The Chronicle.

An indication of the large community support for The Local Paper is its content: there were 36 pages of local news in this week’s 108-page edition. The Standard was just 24 pages; The Chronicle could only manage 16 pages.

The decision by the Indi MP’s office not to include the southern tip of Indi in an awareness campaign follows criticism of Dr Haines’s limited campaigning in the Kinglake region in the month prior to the Federal election on May 18.

Footnote: The Local Paper this week published a double-page spread with a full transcript of Dr Haines’s maiden speech to Federal Parliament. The two-page report was published at The Local Paper’s cost. No request was made by the newspaper for payment. We believe The Local Paper was the only newspaper in the entire electorate to offer such coverage.