Thursday, 23 June 2022

Petitions

Following petition presented to house by Deputy Clerk:

Mount Beauty water supply

This petition of residents in Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Assembly that North East Water (NE Water) plans to build a new raw water off take facility in Mount Beauty to secure a sustainable water supply for the local communities. The community fully supports the plan to build a new facility but has grave concerns about some of the proposed sites. Their concerns specifically relate to proposed sites 1, 2 and 6 listed in the Multi-Criteria Assessment Report (MCA Report) for the Mt Beauty Raw Water Offtake. The proposed sites are located within a highly valued recreational precinct, a place of natural and valued beauty, along the West Kiewa River on Embankment Drive. The precinct attracts tourists and visitors which supports local businesses and brings the small community together, enhancing the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors alike. The community have also recently received a grant to continue work to upgrade the precinct in line with work already completed in that area. The community also has concerns with NE Water’s MCA report as it was undertaken in-house and does not stand up to robust scrutiny and the company’s potential financial bias towards site 2.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly call on the Government to reject sites 1, 2 and 6, as well as any other potential new sites within Mount Beauty’s high value river side recreation precinct along Embankment Drive, from all future exploration, negotiation and planning and establish an independent assessment team to work with NE Water on a robust multi criteria assessment report to identify a location for the Upper Kiewa Valley’s raw water off take.

By Mr McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (361 signatures).

Tabled.

Ordered that petition be considered next day on motion of Mr McCURDY (Ovens Valley).