Tuesday, 6 February 2024

Wonthaggi infrastructure

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (19:12): (671) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Planning, and the action that I seek is that the Victorian government adequately provides the necessary infrastructure for a future population boom in Wonthaggi. I welcome the government’s decision to assist Bass Coast shire in developing the Wonthaggi North East precinct structure plan, which will accommodate 5000 new homes and create 1600 new jobs in the area. But when it comes to population growth, Labor has consistently failed the local communities by overpopulating areas without delivering the necessary infrastructure. Areas like Pakenham have seen traffic congestion, and key promises like the Pakenham community hospital are yet to be delivered.

Growth area councils continue to be told by the government that their regions will see drastic population increases, but these councils are deprived of extra funding for more town planners. In 2021, seven years after Labor came to office, the government’s own chief executive of Infrastructure Victoria admitted social infrastructure has failed to keep pace with population increases in new growth areas. Labor has failed to deliver roads, transport and services infrastructure in growth areas.

Minister, the plan for an additional 5000 homes in Wonthaggi has been estimated to bring an additional 12,000 people to the area. That will more than double the current population. With hospital waiting lists around Victoria skyrocketing and government school classrooms becoming very crowded, the community needs an assurance that there will be the appropriate infrastructure needed to cope with the growth.