Thursday, 21 March 2024

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (18:21): Tonight we heard 15 matters on the adjournment from various members in this chamber. I will refer the relevant matters to the relevant ministers for response.

Ms Watt is here in the chamber, so I do want to address the matter that has been raised relating to Merri Creek, a really wonderful part of our waterway system which is incredibly important for the purposes of enhancing and supporting biodiversity. This is, as Ms Watt has correctly identified, one of the really important reasons that we have programs just like the Green Links announcement and initiative, for which Merri Creek organisations were the beneficiaries of the recent announcement of $800,000 to make sure that a really precious part of Merri Creek and an area which is home to many species that rely upon good waterway management can continue to be protected.

As was announced in March, this $800,000 is part of a total $10 million investment, and it will ensure that the manager of the Merri Creek groups, the Merri Creek Management Committee – with the Friends of Merri Creek, Friends of Edwardes Lake, Merri-bek council, Friends of Edgars Creek and the Wollert community farm – can take an active role in supporting, identifying, surveying and managing, as far as broader environmental considerations and conditions are concerned, species like microbats, platypuses and pardalotes and so many different often very fragile floral species as well. When we take care of kilometres of creek, we know that the broader environment benefits enormously as well and that people benefit too.

I do want to recommit to the work in the Green Links program. The first round has delivered a number of really exciting initiatives. I am looking forward to again seeing those come to life and continuing the work of these wonderful volunteer groups, the ones that Ms Watt has identified. Thank you also to you and to local members for raising these issues and advocating so stridently for them. They are an integral part of making sure the communities are at the heart of delivering input and resourcing to our waterways to make sure that we have them healthy now and into the future and that they are adaptive and resilient to changes in climate and population growth.

I was going to address the other matter raised for my attention tonight in the housing portfolio by Dr Mansfield, but Dr Mansfield has left the chamber, and frankly it is to my mind a little disrespectful. If she is seeking an answer from the minister who is attending to the adjournment and does not stick around for it, then I am more inclined to seek to provide an answer in writing. I note that members of the coalition and members of government have stuck around, and it is often a very long process to sit here for the adjournment. This is the case even where matters are not directed to the minister on duty. It is not my intention, President, unless you have a view to the contrary, to provide an answer to somebody who is not here.

The PRESIDENT: I think that is a fair position. The house will adjourn.

House adjourned 6:25 pm.