Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Suburban Rail Loop

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (13:39): (561) My question is to the Minister for Children. Minister, I refer to the department of education and training’s submission to the inquiry and advisory committee on the Suburban Rail Loop East, which deals with educational facilities that may be impacted by the construction phase of the government’s proposed Suburban Rail Loop. Minister, will there be any social amenity or environmental impact on early childhood centres near the planned Suburban Rail Loop East, and if so, what steps has the minister or her department taken to ensure that the health of young children is not put at risk?

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: I am –

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, I have not even said anything.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: There are a couple of things: I did not give you the call, and the other thing is I just stuttered, so I had not had a chance. My concern is that the minister for infrastructure might be the appropriate minister under executive orders, but I am happy if the minister wants to answer the question as she sees fit.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (13:41): Thank you, President, and I would support your initial inclination, which is that under the general orders the relevant ministers would be those with responsibility for the Suburban Rail Loop. But I will welcome any opportunity to talk about all of the initiatives that we are implementing under Best Start, Best Life. Just in the past week we have announced more than $28 million in ensuring the amenity of our kindergartens, be it ensuring that playgrounds have disability access through to ensuring that kindergartens have IT equipment – such as the centre at Baxter that I was very pleased to visit last week with the member for Hastings. They were very excited to receive their grant for their local IT infrastructure. But right across our state, whether they are attached to or beside the Suburban Rail Loop or otherwise, we are upgrading kindergarten facilities because we know that three- and four-year-old kinders –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, this is a very specific question about education department assets near the Suburban Rail Loop, and it relates to the department’s own submission. It does not relate to –

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, it is not a point of order.

David Davis: childcare centres all around Victoria.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister made it clear in her answer that this does not fall under her responsibilities under the executive order, and that is an answer.

David Davis: On the point of order, President, she cannot just say that if it does. She cannot be wrong in what she says. The department’s own submission says the department’s immediate interests include school sites and assets held by the department.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis!

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: No, no, no. You have got other provisions available to you that you can take. If you believe that you are right, you can move a motion to take note of the minister’s answer or you can move a separate motion in that view during notices of motion. But the minister’s answer was clear that it does not fall under her responsibility under the executive orders, and that is the answer.

David Davis: Further to the point of order, President, the minister cannot say something that is false if it does fall under her area. Her department has actually made a submission about facilities, including early childhood facilities in that area.

The PRESIDENT: No. Sit down, Mr Davis.

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: I am on my feet. This is not something that I have decided should come into vogue today. There are many rulings around this – many rulings around if it does not fall within the minister’s responsibility under the executive order. The minister has every right to say it does not. You have other provisions if you believe that is not correct, but the minister has clearly said that that is her answer, and that is the end of it. Has the minister finished?

A member interjected.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, you have got a problem now, because I know you want to ask a supplementary question, but it is going to be very difficult to ask a supplementary question after the minister has said that it does not fall within her responsibility.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (13:44): The Department of Education’s submission to the Suburban Rail Loop panel said there is a potential impact for contaminated land or migration of contaminated groundwater during operation of the project, which could impact department schools, and in another part it talks about other facilities as well. In that circumstance, where the department’s own submission, the Department of Education – your department – submission, says there are contaminated land and spoil management issues, migration of contaminated land water and indeed potential land stability issues, does the minister support the department’s submission, or does she have a different view from her own department?

The PRESIDENT: Once the submission is made, it is the responsibility of the Minister for Transport Infrastructure.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: I will call the minister, without any great expectation that she might have a different position.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (13:46): The question is indeed flummoxing, because the answer to the question is within the question itself, which is it is a submission by the Department of Education to the responsible authority. As I indicated in my substantive answer, we support improving the amenity and protecting the amenity of every kindergarten across this state, and that is why under the Best Start, Best Life reforms we are investing $14 billion in a generational reform. But the submission is to the responsible authority, which is the Suburban Rail Loop, which is where you should have directed your question, Mr Davis.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (13:47): I move:

That the minister’s answer – to step away from her department’s submission – be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, I cannot put that question. Do you want to put another question?

David DAVIS: I move:

That the minister’s answer be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.