Thursday, 9 March 2023

Adjournment

Mildura electorate camp sites

Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (17:01): (91) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek is for Parks Victoria to assess damage and reopen key camping spots and boat ramps along the Murray River between Colignan and downstream to the South Australian border as a matter of urgency. My office this week has been inundated – pardon the pun – by concerned residents about Parks Victoria closing parks and reserves along the Murray River between Colignan and the SA border. This is because of flooding impacts, and more than a dozen popular camping spots are being, or have been, closed along our beautiful river. Signs have gone up advising of several risks to visitors, including but not limited to that the ground is soft and therefore large trees are a fall risk, that facilities have been damaged and they need to be made safe and that roads and trails continue to be wet of course and have potholes, sinkholes and are quite rough.

While obviously the safety of campers and river users is first and foremost, it concerns me that this will likely impact one of our region’s busiest times of year. As we all know, we are emerging from COVID and our businesses and towns, like every other, are still attempting to recover. Riverside businesses are still closed. Easter is huge in Mildura. Thousands of people flock to our region for our brilliant weather, the array of motorsports and the opportunity to camp with family and friends in some of the best places along the Murray.

We have been advised some park reserves have been so badly impacted they may stay closed for weeks, months or even years. Of further concern is access to boat ramps, which is now cut off. This will have enormous economic impact for our region over the Easter period and indeed this coming long weekend. It is likely some campers’ favourite spots will be closed if they have not been already, without even being able to launch a boat to throw in a fishing line. One of our district’s biggest enthusiasts of fishing and yabbying is infuriated that her access to the river has been cut and said after spending the last two weeks accessing these points at the Echo Point and Karadoc areas that there seem to be no apparent issues except for the road being a bit rough. My residents are expressing concern and frustration these closures will be for an excessive period of time. They seek reassurance this will not be the case and their favourite camping or fishing spots will be open as soon as possible and as safely as possible. The economic and social impact of closures will be enormous for our region without urgent action.

The action I seek is for Parks Victoria to assess the damage and carry out necessary works to reopen these key reserves along the Murray River from Colignan to the South Australian border. Obviously the assessment of hazards and work is critical for river users’ safety, and this is paramount of course, but we ask that the matter be dealt with as urgently as possible to enable family trips along the Murray River over Easter.