Thursday, 15 August 2019

 Ms WOOLDRIDGE (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:23): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Minister, last October your government committed to supporting SEA Electric to set up a new factory in the Latrobe Valley. When you contracted with SEA Electric what did your department determine was their risk level?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Resources) (12:24): I thank Ms Wooldridge for her question in relation to SEA Electric. Yes, the SEA Electric contract was a great initiative as part of identifying and supporting business growth and new jobs in the valley, so it is a really exciting initiative of a new emerging technology which is estimated to create a lot of jobs. Currently we have 17 workers that are being transported to the Dandenong site. I sought an update on this just this week, and I understand another 15 are to be employed, to be advertised soon, to join them. So—

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister is answering the question.

Ms SYMES: Look, this is a company that we are working closely with. We are working with the council, who are very excited about this project. We are identifying an appropriate site for this company to set up in the Latrobe Valley. For those that do not know, SEA Electric is a new electric vehicle factory, so it is going to be producing electric vehicles. In relation to the assessment that was done at the time, I do not have that on me and I can take that on notice.

 Ms WOOLDRIDGE (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:25): Thank you, Minister. I appreciate you taking that on notice. My supplementary is: are you or your department aware of any concerns about the current financial position of SEA Electric?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Resources) (12:25): No.