Tuesday, 17 June 2025

North-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (14:01): (1626) My constituency matter is for the Minister for Planning. The minister has admitted that just $24 million has been allocated across Melbourne’s 60 new activity centres, with no new funding beyond 20 June 2026. She also confirmed a $140 million cut to her department – almost half its budget – meaning councils will be left to manage the fallout of sweeping land use changes alone. In Blackburn in my electorate residents are already voicing concerns about overdevelopment, loss of tree canopy and the impact on neighbourhood character. Now, with no state funding and no detailed infrastructure planned, councils like Whitehorse are being asked to do more with less. Given the Labor government is pushing for significant population increase in established suburbs without providing the means to support them, my question is: how much more will ratepayers in the City of Whitehorse be forced to pay to fund the government’s planning shortfall?