Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Rochester swimming pool

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:40): My question is for the Treasurer. The people of Rochester are currently sweltering through their third long, hot summer without a swimming pool, due to the town’s pool being destroyed by the October 2022 flood. During the regional sitting in April last year the mayor of Campaspe and the people of Rochester made it very clear that replacing the pool is a priority for the town. In your response to a coalition question without notice about funding for the pool you said:

The Attorney-General or the Minister for Emergency Services does not provide funding for pools …

Now you are the Treasurer and responsible for all funding and finances in Victoria, so I ask again: will you commit the funding to rebuild the Rochester pool?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (13:41): Ms Lovell, of course I am well briefed on the issues in our mutual electorate of Northern Victoria and the impact of Rochester, and therefore I am speaking to a lot of people about the pool as a project. I disagree with your characterisation in relation to the current proposals and the support of the community. I think the current envelope that the council have put forward is something that I have suggested would be wise for them to consider revising down – such a large amount.

This is a broader comment for the chamber: I take issue with your characterisation of my role and the fact that you can ask me any question that has a dollar figure attached to it. I will always – and I hope that my past practice demonstrates this – try to answer questions in the chamber, but just characterising something as a matter for the Treasurer by saying it has a dollar amount attributed to it is not a good use of the chamber’s time. I am not going to be across every grant program and every portfolio priority in relation to how bids might come to the Treasurer. The project that you speak about would be unlikely to come directly to the Treasurer. It would come through sport and recreation more than likely. I have been personally, as local member, working with members of the community on that project, and I can give you a commitment that I will continue to have those conversations in my capacity as local member. At this point in time it is not a question that can be directly attributed to the Treasurer. I am not going to stand here and say, ‘I’m going to fund that and I’m not going to fund that’ when I have not even had proposals put to me.

I am more than happy to continue conversations with you, but I just do start the parliamentary year with a little bit of expectation-setting that I am not going to be responsible for every question if you just say that it costs money. I had a similar approach when I was previously regional development minister, and Mr Davis will recall this quite regularly. Just because something happens in regional Victoria does not necessarily mean it is a matter for regional development. Again, I reaffirm my commitment that I will always try to give you an answer, and hopefully that is what I have done right now.

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:43): The Treasurer did refer to a project that was quite a large sum, and the Campaspe shire have revised that figure down now. Campaspe shire has also paid for the removal of the old pool, and the town expects that construction of the new pool will follow shortly. In your response at the regional hearing you said it was:

… a project that not only meets the needs of a community but is symbolic of a recovery project, it is a project as a local member that I am pretty sure I will get behind.

Treasurer, do you stand by those words, and will you get behind the people of Rochester by providing the funding needed to rebuild their pool?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (13:44): As I confirmed, on my many visits to Rochester this topic comes up regularly. I am sure I will continue those conversations with the community, but no formal process has come to me in the role as Treasurer.