Thursday, 12 May 2022

Adjournment

Lake Boga silo art

Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (17:01): (6356) My adjournment matter tonight is for the minister for transport, and it concerns the Lake Boga silo art project. Previously I raised this on the adjournment. That particular issue was resolved by the Department of Transport, and I thank them very much for it, but the next issue has now arisen. There was an issue, when I raised it previously, about approval from VicTrack and V/Line to allow the work to go ahead on the east side of the silo, because the train line runs along that side and there is a passenger train twice a day, and there were safety issues with the person actually doing the silo art. Those issues have been resolved. Since they have been resolved, the discussion has been about how there needs to be a viewing area on the eastern side between the railway line and the Murray Valley Highway, which are lots 32 and 33. GrainCorp want to have a proper viewing place for that silo art before they will give their final tick-off, because they do not want cars parked on the side of the highway while they are doing that, which all makes sense.

The silo art people in Lake Boga have been to VicTrack. VicTrack have received preliminary panel approval for those two lots to be leased to Lake Boga Inc. on behalf of the Lake Boga silo art project. That preliminary panel approval now sits with the Department of Transport—and it has disappeared into a black hole in the Department of Transport, and they just cannot get an answer back out of the Department of Transport around a lease for that land. As I said, they need the lease for that land to go back to GrainCorp to get the final approval for the project to go ahead on the Lake Boga silo.

The issues around safety and the painting and the train running were all resolved the last time I raised this. Can the minister please now go back to the department and get that issue of the lease of lots 32 and 33 sorted out so that final approvals from everyone can be done and that project can actually get implemented? They got funding from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal for about $70 000 for that project. They are really keen to get it done because, as we know, the silo art trail is a great tourism attraction right across northern Victoria, and this would enable Lake Boga to be a part of that. On behalf of the Lake Boga silo art group, who desperately want to get this going, can the minister please, as I said, go to the department and get this moving through the department so it can all be approved and that project can happen?