Wednesday, 19 February 2025

 Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:51): (1383) My question is for the Minister for Environment. Recently I have been contacted by a constituent raising a concern about the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s sale of the historic school, museum and public hall at Tarraville, a sale which will go into private hands. This site has a heritage overlay and is important to the local community. The museum is an integral part of Gippsland’s rich history, having been built in 1856, and it is one of the last remaining 19th century buildings in the region. In the 1850s Tarraville was the largest town in Gippsland and with Port Albert played a crucial role in the cattle and sheep trade to Tasmania, also supporting the goldfields trade at the time. Now it is one of Victoria’s regional tourist destinations because of its heritage and the stories of the township that its residents offer, along with the great fishing opportunities of the Tarra River. My question is: will the government work with DEECA to stop the sale and protect this wonderful element of Victoria’s unique regional history by gifting it to the community?