Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (17:38): I rise to make a statement on the report of the board of inquiry into the McCrae landslide. The McCrae landslide has been a significant and ongoing matter over the past 10 or 11 months, and for some residents, for years prior. I have worked with residents over this time to advocate for this inquiry, for them to get back into their homes and for there to be positive, good faith work undertaken from this point on to remediate the site.

The McCrae landslide occurred on the escarpment of 6 and 10–12 View Point Road in McCrae on the morning of 14 January 2025. The 14 January landslide was preceded by a smaller landslide nine days earlier on 5 January 2025, which damaged the back of 3 Penny Lane, and two landslides that occurred in quick succession in November 2022, damaging two properties. These landslides also occurred on the escarpment of 10–12 View Point Road to the west of the site of McCrae landslide. I would like to start by acknowledging the many residents who have been impacted by this event, many of whom I have come to know over the past 11 months. The residents have self-organised and advocated in a coordinated way to the many agencies involved through the McCrae Evacuees Response Group, better known as the MERG group. I would like to acknowledge the work of Bob Stensholt as chair of the group and Mike O’Neill and Richard Bendell as spokespersons.

I quote from the report:

The Board of Inquiry has found that the McCrae Landslide and the earlier landslide of 5 January 2025 were caused by water that leaked from a burst water main owned by South East Water … That burst water main was located approximately 450 metres south of 3 Penny Lane, near the corner of Bayview Road and Outlook Road. The burst water main had leaked for several months prior to its repair over New Year’s Eve, releasing about 40.3 million litres of water during the period it was undetected – the equivalent of about 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

I would also like to acknowledge the chair of the inquiry Ms Renée Enbom KC for her thoroughness and careful conduct of a complex inquiry and her 30 recommendations to safeguard the residents of McCrae into the future. The inquiry conducted 13 days of public hearings, received 86 public submissions and heard evidence from residents, local authorities, state government bodies and geotechnical experts.

Finally, I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos, who set about setting up this board of inquiry and responding quickly, including already delivering recommendation 1, appointing a mediator. I am pleased to add that on Friday 24 October Minister Staikos appointed Dan Star KC as an independent mediator. Mr Star is an accredited mediator under the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards and a senior barrister with more than 25 years experience. This is a particularly important step for the residents impacted by the landslide because for the first time since the event there will be a structured process with the shire, South East Water, affected landowners and any other necessary parties working to reach agreement on appropriate mitigation and remediation works.

I am also pleased to report that, to my knowledge, all parties have so far agreed to participate in that mediation. Most, but not all, residents have returned to their homes after an extended period of uncertainty and anxiety. The report has a section on the lived experience of the residents directly affected by this landslide, and I encourage people to look to this section to understand what it has been like for these people. To these residents and the many others impacted, I want to say directly: your experiences have been heard in this place, and they will not be for nothing.

I would like to finish by reiterating the words of Minister Staikos upon the release of this report, when he said, ‘The landslides have taken a significant toll on residents’, and he called on both South East Water and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to work with the McCrae community to achieve the best possible outcomes.