Wednesday, 31 May 2023

Adjournment

South-east region airport

Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (17:12): (211) My adjournment tonight is for the Treasurer, and the action I request of the Treasurer is to release all economic data in relation to putting an airport in the south-east of Victoria down through the growth corridors. We all know that the south-east of Melbourne is the greatest part of this place to live. We have so much down there with our growth, our businesses, our factories, our access to ports. We have got so many business opportunities for the future, and it is important that we understand, not just for ourselves but also from the council’s perspective, what economic data is available to ensure what we can look at building in the future. We have heard many times about an airport being an option, an idea, a dream for the future of the south-east. It has been in Melbourne 2030. When it was in Melbourne 2030 there was allocation, or discussion, around some land where it was going to be put, and I think it is a great discussion to have for what we want to do for the future. If we are going to continue to grow the south-east, if we are going to continue to have –

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! If members could have conversations outside – the member for Berwick should be able to continue in silence.

Brad BATTIN: It is one of the fastest growth corridors here in our state, an amazing place to live. But as I said, it is also an amazing place to do business. We want to ensure that if we are going to be doing business down in the south-east, every opportunity is given to all in that area for the development, and not just for houses. We cannot continue to have the housing sprawl that we have seen through Clyde North, through Cranbourne, going down through the electorates of Bass, Pakenham, obviously Berwick, Narre Warren North and Narre Warren South. We need to ensure that we have got a plan for the future that includes creating jobs and creating opportunities for everyone in that region.

We cannot continue to build a state of one city where everybody is driving in one direction; we need to start to work it out so we can go in various directions. Even One Direction had a lifespan, and they have now split up. Now we need to make sure that our areas also have that opportunity so we can be the Harry Styles of Victoria. I want to make sure that we have got down in our region an opportunity for growth in employment, growth in jobs and also an opportunity to build an airport in the future. So I ask the Treasurer if we can get the economic data to ensure that it is viable for our region. I know the member for Narracan will join me in that, because we would love to see our communities get the opportunities that the west and north have had in the past.