Suburban Rail Loop
Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:16): (1937) The action I seek is from the Minister for Planning. The uncosted and unfunded Suburban Rail Loop is costing Victorians at least $34 billion, will reshape our suburbs and is disrupting the lives of tens of thousands of people. Communities from Box Hill to Cheltenham have faced road closures, the closure of businesses and compulsory acquisitions of an RSL and a church and homes. This project plans to change the very nature and character of these suburbs, and my communities are constantly disappointed at a planning process that lacks transparency. In effect the way the government conducts consultation is an abuse of trust at best and corruption at worst. Public hearings have been scheduled for the Suburban Rail Loop East precinct standing advisory committee and are supposed to be a forum for the public to provide vital input into the future of their communities. In requesting to appear before this forum, the Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Progress Association has asked the Suburban Rail Loop Authority to place all tabled documents from the hearings onto the Engage Victoria or similar website, which is what happened with the 2022 SRL East environmental effects inquiry. Tabling these documents would clearly allow for a more genuine consultative process and a more worthwhile exchange of views. However, the government, via Planning Panels Victoria, has indicated it will not happen on this occasion. Why? Because they do not have to, which is different from saying ‘You shouldn’t’ and totally different from saying ‘We are willing to be transparent.’
Make no mistake, consultation conducted while purposely withholding key information from interested stakeholders is a sham. Communities cannot be asked to provide feedback if they are denied details they consider relevant. This is yet another case where the government weaponises the availability of information. It is in effect a lie by omission. It is the government acting in bad faith. There is no integrity to it and therefore there is no integrity to the process. It is essential that all documents presented at these public hearings, including expert evidence and submissions, are made publicly available to ensure scrutiny and informed community engagement. The action I seek from the minister is to intervene to ensure that all tabled documents and submissions for the SRL East precincts standing advisory committee are made public and published on an ongoing basis.