Thursday, 22 February 2024

Constituency questions

Southern Metropolitan Region

Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (12:35): (689) My question is to the Minister for Veterans. Can the minister please provide an update on how the Victorian Labor government is honouring the role that veterans play in my local community in Hampton? At the end of 2023 I had the opportunity to tour the Castlefield estate, located in Hampton, with the Minister for Veterans. The Castlefield estate is the largest intact example of what was once soldier-settlement housing in Victoria. Currently 215 of these homes remain, which were built in the 1920s for returned World War I soldiers. Within the estate nine of the streets are named after significant battles and towns of World War I, and as part of the Victoria Remembers grants the Castlefield centenary project along with the Sandringham and District Historical Society have received $30,000 to install signs to explain the significance of the street names. Projects like this are vital to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of our veterans but also to educate younger Victorians about our military history, including unknown parts of history in their local suburb. I am honoured to be a small part of the Castlefield centenary project.