Tuesday, 20 June 2023

Commonwealth Games

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:45): (184) I will move on to a different area. My question is again to the Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy. The Treasurer in the other place has said that the state government is expecting a substantial contribution from local government. However, the City of Greater Geelong has said it is unable to pay for a new aquatics centre at Armstrong Creek. Will the minister guarantee that locals will not miss out because council cannot fill the state government’s funding gap?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (12:45): Mr McCracken, as you would be aware, and as the Treasurer and Premier have indicated and as my colleague the Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery has also indicated, the previous budget contains a $2.6 billion investment which is about making sure that we can deliver the games of a lifetime. This includes an $800 million procurement pipeline, which will be about making sure that up to 1200 contracts are able to be delivered. That also includes a once-in-a-lifetime investment in infrastructure.

What you have asked for, Mr McCracken, goes directly to the ongoing conversations that we are having with local government. Again, it has been great to see that Regional Cities Vic and their paper released last week celebrate the momentum that the Commonwealth Games are bringing to rural and regional Victoria and anticipate with great enthusiasm the benefit that this will bring. We know that worldwide the Commonwealth Games is an opportunity to celebrate our communities and to make sure that we have the economic, employment and community benefits that go along with these investments. We also know that infrastructure is a key part of this, and this is why we are continuing to engage with councils not just on what the offering will be as far as sporting infrastructure goes but also to really develop and deliver a fundamentally life-changing experience for visitors, for spectators and for the communities.

Mr McCracken, those conversations are continuing. We are looking forward to continuing those really good faith and productive conversations with councils. To that end, I am really grateful for the opportunity to have met with councils to talk with them about their priorities and to make sure that what we are delivering for communities now and into the future provides them with what it is that they are looking for around future legacy and opportunity for communities. Just on this very point, in fact today Jeroen Weimar is meeting with CEOs as part of that ongoing set of conversations, and the office of the Commonwealth Games Victoria 2026 organising committee and Development Victoria have been in constant conversation and engagement with the City of Greater Geelong.

This is about making sure that we work alongside our hub CEOs across all local government areas and that we continue with the work that has been delivered as part of regional engagement forums and the legacy round tables and the work, as I said, that Jeroen Weimar and others are doing. The Deputy Premier has also been discussing these matters with councils. That is why, again, those conversations continue. We want to make sure that communities have what it is that they want as legacy outcomes from this, that co-contributions are part of delivering what communities want – what they identify – and that we can make sure that our $2.6 billion offering fits within the scope of what they want into the long term for generations to come.

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:48): That was a life-changing experience, Ms Shing, I have got to say.

Harriet Shing: That one fell a bit flat. You might need to work on your delivery.

Joe McCRACKEN: I will try next time. Thanks, though. I will have to get zingers from you guys. Will the minister guarantee that no regional Victorian towns, such as Geelong or Ballarat in my electorate, will miss out on a single legacy project if their council is unable to meet the financial demands of the state government?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (12:49): You are asking about ‘no regional towns’ and you have referred to your electorate, Mr McCracken. But just by way of the definition of ‘town’, I would note that around Victoria there are 281 towns of 5000 or fewer people. Again, Mr McCracken, I am always really pleased to engage with you on what it is that legacy looks like and what it is that that record investment in regional Victoria looks like –

Joe McCracken: On a point of order, President, I am happy to rephrase the question so it is ‘cities’ for the minister, but obviously the minister understands the intent of the question.

The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! It is very difficult for the minister to answer the question when there is so much interruption. We have lost the first half of her time, so, Minister, if you want to continue past 23 seconds, please feel free.

Harriet SHING: Thank you, President. Mr McCracken, in a previous answer you did in fact quote the Deputy Premier as saying that it was a factor of time, and that is indeed exactly what we find ourselves faced with today because of the intransigence perhaps of your colleagues. But with that in mind, I just want to actually reconfirm our commitment to making sure that there are villages, that there is infrastructure, that there are programs and services and that, again, we have the very best benefit for communities. I am really looking forward to you being on board with all of that work.