Thursday, 20 June 2024

Western Victoria Region

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:40): (949) My question is to the Minister for Water, who also happens to be the Minister for Housing. You would think that in the middle of a housing crisis you would want to do everything you possibly could to get every house online that you possibly could. I have contacted the Minister for Water on several occasions, because I have some constituents who are trying to develop land out at Bonshaw, near Ballarat, in order to get things moving. Central Highlands Water are being particularly difficult. They want the establishment of temporary water structures, which include pump stations that could cost up to $5 million, only to have them torn down again when Central Highlands Water have got their permanent infrastructure in place. What developer is going to want to develop land given that this extremely unrealistic cost impost is being imposed on those that are seeking to develop land? I ask the minister to intervene. I have raised it with the minister; I have got no response.