Northern Victoria Region
Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:10): (851) My question is for the Minister for Police. Minister, will you guarantee the Rochester police station will be finished by quarter 4, 2024–25, as originally promised? The devastating floods of October 2022 damaged Rochester’s police station, and a new station was announced as part of the town’s recovery works. In the 2023–24 budget there was an individual line item for replacement of critical police facilities for Rochester, with a total estimated investment of $1.3 million and an expected completion date of mid-2025 – in fact quarter 4, 2024–25. That line item has disappeared in the 2024–25 budget. The money for Rochester police station has been folded into the new police station infrastructure delivery fund for statewide projects. This fund has an expected completion date of mid-2026 – quarter 4, 2025–26 – one year later than the original Rochester police station funding. The Rochester rebuild is a top priority for Victoria’s post-flood recovery works, and the minister must give clarity to local police officers and residents on the completion date for their new police station.