Thursday, 18 April 2024

Twelve Apostles precinct redevelopment

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:23): (831) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Regional Development. On 8 February I asked the Minister for Development Victoria a constituency question about the compulsory acquisition of farmland for the government’s Twelve Apostles precinct development. The response took eight weeks. Worse still, it said only ‘Not our problem, ask another minister’. This is despite the fact the project is listed on the Development Victoria website as ‘delivered by Development Victoria’, despite the fact the Engage Victoria consultation was directed to Development Victoria and despite the fact the Government Gazette declaration was made by the minister responsible for Development Victoria under the Development Victoria Act 2003. Was the question wrongly directed? If so, could it not have been easily redirected? And if that is beyond the wit of this government and their departments, why not say so immediately, not wait eight weeks? Eight weeks to get the answer that we cannot, or will not, answer you.

In 2020 I raised this unhelpful, obstructive, time-wasting and disrespectful practice with our enlightened President. He said:

… sometimes the distinction between portfolios is not clear-cut and it is a matter of judgement as to where a matter should be directed. In my view in an instance such as this it would be a courtesy to the house for ministers to pass the matter on to the correct minister for a response.

That is a perfectly reasonable approach.

A written response from a minister, whether the matter was directed to them in the house or not, is in order …

said that President. How good. But if ministers continue to ignore this, as a house we should seriously consider our response. I hope this attitude does not result from political inclination. Perhaps it is a shrug of the shoulders from overlooked departmental staff, but if you are a member of the public whose life will be deeply affected, a reply like this is not a shrug of the shoulders but a kick in the teeth. My constituent wrote recently:

Valuers for the State are entering … this week … to determine what the area they are taking is worth. Kindly, they written they will not enter our family home without consent. We won’t be so lucky with the remainder of the property with which they plan to force their way onto. Soul destroying.

Minister, on this long-planned project, which surely requires total transparency, I ask again: will the land acquired by Development Victoria be leased or sold to any third party – for example, the Eastern Maar corporation or an overseas entity?