Thursday, 9 March 2023

Western Victoria Region

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:37): (77) My constituency question is for the Minister for Planning and concerns her deeply regrettable recent decision to jeopardise Viva Energy’s plan for a gas import terminal in Corio Bay. How do she and the Andrews government expect any business to invest in Victoria? It is clearly a mystery. To mix metaphors, Viva have jumped through the hoops but now find the goalposts have moved, even in the water. With breathtaking irony Ms Kilkenny told the Assembly:

When planning is done poorly, it can have a negative impact on those communities through their health and wellbeing.

Tell that to the communities threatened by the monster towers and transmission lines of her government’s Western Renewables Link. They will now watch that environment effects statement process even more closely. So, Minister, the question I have is: will your higher requirements for EES processes – in this case a blatant sweetener for the gas-hating Greens – extend to the Western Renewables Link also?