Constituency questions
Western Victoria Region
Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (12:08): (1723) My question is to the Minister for Housing and Minister for Planning in the other place, and it concerns making residential development in regional areas more accessible, such as through an infrastructure grants program. The government have not yet agreed to a housing summit, so I am resorting to bringing ideas from the community to you in a piecemeal approach. The next instalment is a suggestion that the government should start an infrastructure grants program where they incentivise subsidies or loans for infrastructure for new residential developments, including power, water and sewerage. I have heard from the south-west councils as well as Loddon shire and many other councils that these costs are burdensome and sometimes unnecessary. For example, a residential estate in Warrnambool with fancy new lighting as prescribed by the government would actually look out of place, from what I am told. We need to look at innovative ways to get residential development happening, and government backing for this infrastructure work would, in the view of these councils and me, help immeasurably. Minister, will you explore the suggestion as an option to entice development in the regions in my electorate?