Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Hanging Rock precinct development

Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (18:03): (1865) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change and concerns the state government’s Hanging Rock precinct master plan, which will see the decommissioning of the Hanging Rock oval and inappropriate development of East Paddock. The action that I seek is for the minister to immediately intervene to ensure the Hanging Rock precinct master plandoes not involve the decommissioning of the Hanging Rock oval and also to ensure planning protections are strengthened to protect the oval and East Paddock from future development.

Cricket has been played at Hanging Rock since the mid-1800s, and club cricket has been played at the Hanging Rock oval for well over 100 years, with the Hanging Rock Cricket Club currently fielding seven teams, three senior and four junior, in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association. The oval is set in the centre of Hanging Rock racecourse, which sits in the shadows of the iconic Hanging Rock, and is surely one of Australia’s most picturesque sporting grounds. We all know the important role sporting clubs play in our communities, and the Hanging Rock Cricket Club plays a vital role in the health and happiness of local residents. Members of the cricket club have informed me that the Hanging Rock oval is the only recreational reserve in the area, servicing the hamlets of Hesket, Rochford, Newham, Cobaw, Pipers Creek, Carlsruhe and the rural areas in between.

The Andrews Labor government’s draft Hanging Rock precinct master plan, released for public consultation on Christmas Eve 2021, revealed the government’s intention to evict the cricket club and decommission the Hanging Rock oval to make way for a road and a wetlands area. It also revealed plans to develop the East Paddock, with a permanent stage and car park to be a horrible scar on what is supposed to be a rural view from the rock. The cricket club is devastated that the Andrews Labor government is evicting them from their home. I saw this anguish for myself when I met with members of the cricket club, together with the Shadow Minister for Sport and Shadow Minister for Tourism, Cindy McLeish, and the Liberal candidate for McEwen, Richard Welch. The future of the club is now uncertain as it is faced with having nowhere to play its home games next season.

The local community is deeply concerned about the lack of engagement with locals in developing the master plan and believes the so-called consultation process over the Christmas-New Year period was a sham. Many locals believe a better plan would be to upgrade the facilities at the racetrack, which are nestled beneath the view from the rock, to include the visitor centre and additional car parks. A temporary stage can be established as needed for the occasional concert that is held at the rock. This would avoid inappropriate development of the East Paddock and any need for decommissioning the cricket oval. It would also preserve the rural view from the rock and allow community sport to continue as it has for over 100 years. The minister needs to urgently intervene in this matter to secure the future of the Hanging Rock precinct and the Hanging Rock Cricket Club.