Twelve Apostles visitor centre
Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (09:42): The secrecy at the Twelve Apostles has to stop. This government has been sitting on $126 million since 2018 for the upgrade of the Twelve Apostles visitor centre. The construction has now begun at the Twelve Apostles. The local Corangamite shire knows nothing of the project. The local tourism authority, Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism, knows nothing of the project. The next-door neighbours know nothing of the project. The local traders, businesses and tourist operators within the Port Campbell region know nothing of the project. It is absolutely incompatible with common sense and good government that a major piece of community infrastructure – a $126 million investment in regional Victorian tourism – can be done in secret. This is a community asset. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a focal point that will help generate tourism for the rest of our wonderful Otways and Great Ocean Road region, yet this government has secrecy agreements. They will not communicate to the public what is being done. The public, the community, do not know how many car parks. They do not know how many shops. They do not know how many restaurants. They do not know if the long-running sewer issues and waste issues at the Twelve Apostles precinct will be dealt with. The secrecy must stop. The government must come clean and tell the community what they are doing.