Thursday, 4 December 2025

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (17:51): (1475) My adjournment is to the Minister for Water, and the action I seek is for the minister to intervene as a matter of urgency in a planning delay costing millions of dollars and, more importantly, costing jobs. Southeast Business Developments stage 2 consists of 59 commercial lots with a gross land mass of 28.12 hectares and a cost to purchase and construct of $55.82 million. The business park subdivision has certain requirements to modify or alter some of the existing infrastructure on the outer boundaries of the first stage to complete, including widening and asphalting McGregor Road; Greenhills Road was widened and asphalted; an extensive 1650-millimetre diameter drainage culvert is to be installed through the development by the organisation or the developers; and a 2400-by-900 wide box concrete culvert was to be installed, branching off the new drainage system installed by the developers in Greenhills Road for future downstream developments and others.

During 2011 South East Water had previously installed a rising sewer main and recycled water main along Greenhills Road. Notwithstanding that South East Water had access to future development requirements to ensure these assets could be installed at the correct depth and offset the building lines, unfortunately in about 2018 South East Water failed to install the correct locations and depths and failed to correctly record the data as to the constructed work of the utilities. Since that time, over a period of five years, South East Water has committed but failed to deliver on five proposed mobilisation dates to lower the utilities to make way for the completion of the estate drainage system. This land now becomes landlocked due to South East Water’s inability to deliver their program.

While South East Water continues to delay the lowering of these utilities, there is over $600,000 worth of fees being held by local authorities, which will not be refunded until the project is completed. Further, State Revenue Office land tax costs are a minimum of $255,000 per year. Southeast Business Developments is unable to complete further stages whilst they are having to suffer significant holding costs. Additionally, there are up to 3000 missed employment opportunities for the Cardinia area as the land has not been sold and council is not able to generate any future opportunities or funding opportunities. As frustrating as it is that they have had multiple failed attempts with South East Water, who are failing to respond to any communication requests, confirmation of the rescheduling of the date needs to be done. We ask the minister to act on this, to intervene and stop the delays. It is costing jobs and increasing costs and highlights the very reason developers do not want to invest in Victoria.