Constituency questions
Eildon electorate
Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:43): (290) My question is to the Minister for Planning. Upper Yarra locals have been waiting for the Warburton Mountain Bike Destination project for many years and want to know why the project is caught up in red tape and government bureaucracy and when it will be given the go-ahead. After completing the most stringent of planning processes to establish the project, including undertaking an environment effects statement, council is now required to undergo further assessments as part of the planning scheme amendment approval process. After millions of dollars and significant time involved, the minister has accepted the recommendations of an expert independent assessment panel for most of the project to proceed. The Warburton Mountain Bike Destination project is funded by all levels of government and will deliver much-needed jobs and economic stimulus for the Upper Yarra. It is the only project in the region that is shovel ready and can offset some of the jobs that will soon be lost due to the closure of the native timber industry. It should not be caught up in red tape, and everyone wants to know when it will get the go-ahead.