Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (09:54): I again rise today to bring to the house’s attention the parlous state of the management of our wonderful coastline along the Great Ocean Road at the Twelve Apostles precinct. This government has managed to find some $130 million to build a new toilet block complex at the famed visitor centre but has failed to put a wastewater management plan in place. In essence we have found millions to keep foreign visitors happy but cannot find the funds to keep our native environment, our local coastline and the habitat in the area safe for future generations. I wish to acknowledge the hard work from locals Dion Webber and Michelle Rowney, who have put a petition together that will be presented to this Parliament. Already some 754 signatures have been used on this petition to bring urgently to this government’s attention that they must fund the remediation work so that the water overflowing from the car park does not find itself flooding across the Great Ocean Road, down through the plants and the foreshore there and crashing over the cliff.

The net result at the moment is that the famed Gibson Steps are closed. There is no access for the public. They will remain closed until this problem is solved. It is not good enough that the government is looking into it. It is a problem that should have been thought of in the planning. It must be rectified immediately. The community expects progress on this important issue.