Tuesday, 20 February 2024

Adjournment

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (18:32): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

The Vineyard Restaurant and Bar

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (18:32): (700) I want to raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Environment. It is a matter that I raised last year, but I have had no response to this important matter. It concerns the Vineyard bar in St Kilda, an important repository and support for many people in the arts sector. Clearly many bands and many musicians use the Vineyard, and it has provided a very strong support for people in this sector.

The state government owns the land. The land is the responsibility of the Minister for Environment under the administrative arrangements. The day-to-day responsibility has been handed to the City of Port Phillip. I have spoken to people at the City of Port Phillip both before and since the issues have come to the fore of the Vineyard’s future, but what I would say is it is time for the minister to become involved. The minister is ultimately responsible for the use of this piece of public land, and the minister has not responded to earlier adjournment questions that were raised concerning this important site. It is an emblematic site, and it has an emblematic history in the City of Port Phillip and in St Kilda, right on the end of Acland Street opposite Luna Park. It is a very important site, as I say, for the future of the music industry and the sector more broadly.

I do want to say that I have met with people at the Vineyard, and it is time for the City of Port Phillip and the state government, through the Minister for Environment, to step back and to work with the managers of the Vineyard, who have got a long-term lease, and provide a solution that goes forward. I know there were meant to be greater works done than have been done in this recent period, but nonetheless given the difficulty that has been experienced by the whole music industry and indeed so many small businesses across the COVID period and since, with the increased taxes that have been placed on many of these venues, it is not surprising that the venue would struggle. But what I can tell the Minister for Environment today is there is huge public support and it is time that he got involved. He is the minister responsible for this piece of land. Yes, there is a committee of management, but the minister has the capacity to intervene and the minister has the capacity to find a solution. So I ask the Minister for Environment to get involved, talk to the Vineyard and its proprietors, talk to the City of Port Phillip and find a solution to protect this important venue.

Debate interrupted.