Wednesday, 18 June 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:44): (1647) My question is for the Minister for Housing and Building. In 2022 the site of the former Bendigo Teachers’ College at 2 Osborne Street, Flora Hill, was announced as an athletes village of around 160 residents for the March 2026 Commonwealth Games that Labor failed to deliver. Labor then said this project would still go ahead to provide much-needed affordable housing in Bendigo, but it is now mid-June 2025 and the project has not even begun. Minister, why has construction not commenced on the Flora Hill site, and when will this project be completed? The La Trobe University 2024–25 annual report confirms that the land was sold to Development Victoria in December 2024. Substantial early investigation works have been completed, and the City of Greater Bendigo considers this a priority site for housing development, including social and affordable housing, and there are well over 3000 families on the social housing waiting register in Bendigo. Minister, you must prioritise the urgent development of this site for families that are desperate to find a place to live.