Thursday, 1 June 2023

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (15:49): (275) My adjournment matter is for the Assistant Treasurer in the other place. Could the minister please update the house on the cost-of-living measures being implemented to support my constituents in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region and specifically in the Rowville electorate? This week Westfield announced that it would start charging customers and staff for parking at their Knox shopping centre in Wantirna South. Disgracefully, they have given shoppers and retail workers less than two weeks notice of the change. Retail workers at Knox working 4 hours or more on a shift will now be slugged $5 a day just for the privilege of parking at their place of work. That is in excess of $1100 per year for someone who works five days a week. This is a deplorable money grab on the part of Westfield and one that comes at the expense of lower paid retail workers.

My colleague the member for Bayswater Jackson Taylor has been very active on this issue, and I am proud to campaign with him against these changes. I encourage everyone to sign our petition telling Westfield to stop these new parking charges, which you can do by clicking on the link. To reiterate: the action I am seeking is for the minister to update the house on cost-of-living measures being implemented in the Rowville electorate.