Wednesday, 3 June 2026

 Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (19:28): (1687) My adjournment debate this evening is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek from the minister is for him to provide the necessary funds to help the Lorne community rebuild its walking paths and bridges following the devastating flash floods in January this year. Some 800,000 people a year make use of the walking trails and tracks in the Otways and around the Lorne community, and unfortunately today most of those keenly sought after tracks are closed, and they will be closed for quite some time because there are bridges and walking tracks that have been washed away.

These are expensive repairs. I was somewhat pleased to see in the budget there was some $2.7 million allocated for tourism and nature-based activities in the Otways and on the Great Ocean Road, and I thought, ‘Goody, goody, this is money that will help repair these roads and tracks.’ But sadly last week at a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing we learned that that $2.7 million is more top-up funding, in addition to the $130 million, for the as yet not opened and empty visitor centre down at the Twelve Apostles.

I thought to myself, ‘How on earth can we still not have expensive toilets and a cafe built for $130 million? Why on earth does it need another $2.7 million?’ – only to be told by the local community that ‘Oh lo, no, it’s not $2.7 million more they need. They still need another $10 million before they’ll be able to open it.’

Minister, there has been a lot of money invested into some strange objectives of this government along the Great Ocean Road, but we really need some funds for the basics – for what people actually come to the Otways region for. They come to get to the beach, so we need our beach accesses open. We have got beach accesses that have been closed for more than three years. We have got walking tracks and bridges so people can go and enjoy the waterfalls and visit the beautiful eucalyptus forests and the towering fern trees. We need those paths repaired, Minister, and we would love you to be able to provide that support to that community and to Parks Victoria, to Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority – to whichever government agency you are going to allocate the responsibility to. It is vital for our community. They have had a very tough summer down at Lorne and along the Great Ocean Road with the inclement weather and the strange conditions. We cannot afford to have the activities of 800,000 people put on hold indefinitely until you can find the funds. So please find those funds and get them to GORCAPA so that we can get these important facilities fixed and repaired.