Thursday, 1 September 2022

Endeavour Cove

Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (17:53): (2118) My matter for the adjournment is for the attention of the Minister for Planning in the other place. It concerns correspondence and material I have from the City of Kingston, their news releases and other bits of material, and it deals with the Endeavour Cove precinct. I think we are very concerned, many people in metropolitan Melbourne and Mr Rich-Phillips in particular, about the government’s plans for this area. The City of Kingston has called for the government to act to protect Endeavour Cove. There is an application for a 10-storey building, a reduction of parking spaces and development proposed at 64 Pier One Drive. That is listed for the VCAT hearing in September. Now, the mayor and others have called for action from the minister, the Honourable Lizzie Blandthorn, to make sure that there are interim controls so that there cannot be a devastating and damaging outcome. I know our candidate down there, Bec Buchanan, has been very active on this and a number of councillors have also been active to ensure we do not end up with a 10-storey building in a pocket that fundamentally should be four storeys.

I know that there is need for action here. Without the interim controls, there is the prospect of a potentially expensive, time-consuming and frustrating VCAT hearing, which is clearly not in the best interests of the community. The minister has the power, and the minister has these reserve powers to be exercised cautiously, expeditiously and with thought. In this case the local council is making points, the local community is making points and Bec Buchanan is calling for this action to occur to protect the Endeavour Cove region.

I do not know why the minister has not acted, but I am calling on her to. My action is that she moves in line with what the council and community want and puts in interim controls to protect Endeavour Cove. Maybe it is because of John-Paul Blandthorn and his involvement. He is a corrupt person who has admitted so to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. I mean, he dumped Mr Melhem, who sits over there, in the matters of the royal commission. But there is a linkage between Minister Blandthorn and John-Paul Blandthorn. He is the brother, understand this, and he is now caught in a close relationship. He is a person who is a registered lobbyist through Hawker Britton, and now all sorts of planning issues are caught up in this process. The government’s own foolish steps have caught the planning minister in a terrible bind with advocacy from a corrupt brother who has been caught again and again, including an admission at the royal commission—

Ms Shing: On a point of order, President, if there is any allegation that Mr Davis wants to put, he should do so by way of substantive motion.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, I understand your allegation was not against the minister. I understand that it was about the brother. Anyway, your time has run out and your action has—

Mr DAVIS: My action has been registered.