Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Members statements

You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary

Ella GEORGE (Lara) (14:11): The Lara electorate is home to some of the most beautiful places our great state has to offer, and the You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary are the embodiment of that. These parks are visited by more than 470,000 people each year to enjoy bushwalking, hiking and mountain bike riding and to experience the great outdoors, and they are very special places for residents in the electorate of Lara and the wider Geelong community. Today’s state budget will deliver $11 million in funding to improve these amazing assets and the experience to be had when visiting them. This funding will include improving walking and bike-riding tracks; replacing some outdated core visitor facilities, such as picnic areas, shelters and toilets; and enhancing park entrances and creating a better sense of arrival. Importantly, this funding will enhance opportunities for connection to country and engagement with the Wadawurrung people, the traditional owners of this country. Today’s state budget and the $11 million investment recognise the significance of these places, whether it is for local families who enjoy a walk around the You Yangs; children experiencing nature at Serendip Sanctuary; our traditional owners, for whom this area means so much and is so important; or the tourists who visit our beautiful region. I am so pleased that this funding has been confirmed, and I cannot wait to see these magnificent places reach their full potential.