South-West Coast electorate
Ms BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (14:51): (6190) My constituency question is for the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. The information I seek is whether the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will allow the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club to access adjacent land for its planned upgrade. The lifesaving club has 900 members and plays a critical role in keeping beachgoers safe during the warmer months. However, the club is in dire need of new facilities as the current ones are not fit for purpose and need to be replaced. It has plans for a $12 million rebuild, but in order for it to go ahead the club needs to utilise land adjacent to its current facility. It has hit a bureaucratic brick wall in its negotiations with DELWP. An important part of the rebuild is not just about the building itself but also about the adjoining car park. Accessibility to the beach is already an issue on busy days, and there have been occasions when emergency services vehicles have been unable to access the precinct because of traffic congestion. The club has never been granted any government funding, having always covered its own costs for maintenance and even its own build. These volunteers are amazing.