Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Public halls

Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (19:21): (852) I would appreciate your assistance with directing this question, because I note there are four ministers covering six portfolios in the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and my question is to be directed to the appropriate minister that oversees public halls on Crown land in Victoria. The action I seek is for DEECA to come to an agreement with local councils to ensure ongoing funding and support is provided to committees of management of public halls to adequately maintain and insure these assets. In many regional areas, like Woodvale and Sedgwick, public halls are located on Crown land and are a state-owned asset. The day-to-day management is coordinated by a small not-for-profit committee of local volunteers.

In Woodvale, for example, the hall is the central hub that brings the local community together for events like the market and the recent Anzac Day service. The committee was shocked that the hall facility has recently been removed from the City of Greater Bendigo’s asset register. With council support being removed, the Woodvale hall is currently without building and contents insurance. For a small and ageing committee already stretched, this is a devastating blow. This public hall and many others in regional Victoria are government buildings, and as such the government should be insuring their own assets.

It is too much for these voluntary committees to cover the cost of insurance and the inspections and services required to maintain a public building. The Woodvale committee contacted a local solicitor for advice, and they were told:

… “Not an insurable asset for us as we do not own it”. It is like me taking out insurance on your house and I would get a payout if it was burned down.

The solicitor suggested the issue may not be insurmountable but nevertheless needs to be addressed. Obtaining, keeping and engaging volunteers is getting increasingly difficult, and I ask for the minister’s support to help resolve this issue. On behalf of these local hall committees, the action I seek is for DEECA to come to an agreement with local councils to ensure ongoing funding and support is provided to committees of management to adequately maintain and insure these valuable community assets.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Mrs Broad. Our understanding is that the Assistant Treasurer has carriage of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978, so we will start there, but the minister will check as well, and if I am wrong, he will make sure it goes to the appropriate minister.