Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Wayne FARNHAM (Narracan) (19:18): (1587) My adjournment this evening is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit my community and explain why the government has failed to deliver critical infrastructure we desperately need. On Friday the minister issued a press release titled ‘More homes and thousands of jobs in the south-east’. I always wonder why she is limited to the south-east. I wonder what happened to the government’s slogan in 2022 when it said, ‘We govern for all Victorians. We do what matters.’ For my community, Labor have totally failed to live up to these words. Warragul and Drouin are the two fastest growing towns in this state. Planning for the future should mean that these towns have the critical infrastructure they need delivered at the same time as the growth occurs. Let us look at what the government have not done: the West Gippsland Hospital was promised and not delivered; the Warragul and Drouin interconnection and road upgrade has no delivery date; the Weebar Road upgrade is still not done; Gallaghers Crossing has no plan for an upgrade; early learning centres are behind schedule; more bus routes and expanded timetables have no plan, no funding; the Warragul and Drouin SES upgrade has no plan; Nar Nar Goon CFA station has no plan, no funding; Bunyip CFA station has no plan, no funding; and the Bunyip railway crossing, probably the most dangerous intersection in my electorate, has no plan, no funding.

It is not good enough that the government just focus on Labor seats. I hear it all the time in this chamber. I hear about the hospital upgrades that happened in Footscray or wherever – whatever Labor seat it is; I cannot remember them all. They have done a few, but they have only done them in their seats. They have not done them in my electorate. They promised the West Gippsland Hospital upgrade would start in 2023, and it still has not started; it is still vacant. If the government make a statement at an election that says, ‘We govern for all Victoria. We will do what matters,’ then they should stick to that promise, not break the promise. My community, between congestion and a health service that is under so much pressure, has had a gutful. Live up to your promises. I want the Minister for Planning to come down and explain to my community why this government has left them behind.