Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Paul MERCURIO (Hastings) (17:23): (1546) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, and the action I seek is for the minister to come down to my electorate to visit with several businesses that are doing amazing work both within the local community and throughout the world. I appreciate that the minister has come down to my electorate on several occasions under his portfolio of creative industries, visiting the fabulous McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, and I have no doubt we will pop in there for a coffee and a quick view of whatever the current exhibition is. However, as he is the Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, I would like to focus this visit on three businesses in my community that are doing amazing work, the first being BlueScope in Hastings. BlueScope began operating in Hastings over 50 ‍years ago and is one of the biggest employers of local people in Hastings. They make and ship product out of the Hastings factory to various countries around the world. They are always looking at and meeting the changing dynamics of conducting their business and their footprint in respect to climate change.

Additionally, I really look forward to taking the minister to visit Yaringa boat ramp and Hart Marine. Founded by Mal Hart, who is really quite a character, Hart Marine is an Australian boat builder with a history spanning over 40 years, evolving from a family-run yard building high-performance racing yachts into a global leader specialising in high-performance, self-righting pilot boats that are in huge demand around the world.

Lastly, I look forward to the minister meeting with Chris Procter to talk through his very exciting project based in Somerville, the Mornington Peninsula Technology, Industry and Business Park. When built, it will be a clean campus-style community asset, providing up to 1100 jobs and attracting high-tech businesses into the local area, which will of course benefit local small businesses. Things are happening in my electorate, and I look forward to sharing these stories with the minister.