Thursday, 9 February 2023

Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, development

Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (17:23): (37) Second, many thousands of residents have been concerned about the Ryman development involving Reg’s Wedge, the land formerly owned by Reg Ansett involving Moondah mansion, which is a development beyond the urban growth boundary, right next to Kunyung Primary School. I wrote to the former Labor Minister for Planning and received a departmental response during caretaker mode in October which said little. In late December VCAT ruled that Ryman’s amended planning application can go ahead. After that I wrote to the new Labor Minister for Planning, the member for Carrum, at the end of December, asking that this project be called in, noting that the state Labor government could look at alternative boutique uses, similar to Werribee mansion within Werribee Park, as I suggested even prior to my preselection in December 2021.

I also asked the minister to save the neighbouring decommissioned South East Water reservoir site, asking her to keep it in state hands and to rehabilitate it as a public wetland instead. So far I have received no response. Recently the majority of Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors decided not to appeal the VCAT decision, which might have delayed the project, allowing further time for the minister to make a decision to call it in. This basically now leaves this project in the hands of the minister, so I urgently ask the Minister for Planning: will you call in this project?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I gave the member for Mornington the full opportunity to enable his contribution to meet the forms of an adjournment in this house. He did not direct his adjournment to a minister, nor did he ask for an explicit action, so I ask that you rule it out of order. I understand of course it is the first sitting week for the member.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mornington did ask for an action at the end from the Minister for Planning. You did leave it to the last minute, and I was wondering if you would actually get an action out. I just remind members that if you are doing an adjournment, at the start of the adjournment it is a really good idea to tell us who your adjournment matter is to and what action you are seeking. I will rule this one in this time, but I remind members to be very careful about how they phrase their adjournment matters.