Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Maugeri family

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:58): I speak today about the Maugeri family in Werribee. In 1963 the Maugeri brothers leased a farm on McGrath Road for market gardening and cattle grazing. In 1976 they bought the land. Today the family still owns the farm of 142 acres. In 2018 the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning advised the family that the farm would be acquired to become part of the Werribee township regional park. They also said that they were actually committed to ensuring a fair and open land acquisition process. The family were supportive of their farm becoming part of the park and being used by the community, but they have been offered one-third of the going market rate for the equivalent land in the area. This makes my blood boil. As many of you know, my family home was subject to compulsory acquisition and we had to fight to get the right value for our family home in Footscray. One of the reasons why I came to Parliament was the Footscray Land Act 1988, which took my home. Now, this family has worked and cared for this land for 60 years. It is their livelihood. When will the government treat this family with respect and pay a fair market rate for their land?