Thursday, 30 October 2025

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:27): (1106) My question is for the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. We recently debated a petition related to the renaming of Berwick Springs lake. Process and community consultation were key concerns. I have since visited Berwick Springs and have been sent more information, including documents obtained under a freedom-of-information request. What these documents highlight is that several different agencies and institutions – including Melbourne Water, Geographic Names Victoria, Casey council and the Department of Transport and Planning – all highlighted the importance of community consultation. This includes one email that stated:

[QUOTE AWAITING VERIFICATION]

GNV’s preference was for wider community consultation, but the option was not taken.

Another email from the Department of Transport and Planning stated:

Of note, many of the features have unofficial names, and it is a problem waiting to happen.

It seems that these warnings were ignored. Minister, were you aware of these recommendations for broad community consultation before you requested a ministerial direction from the planning minister?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:28): Thank you for the question, Mr Limbrick. At the outset I want to say how proud we are as a government of our Sikh community, and we were proud to name the lake in honour of Guru Nanak. The Victorian Sikh community has given and continues to give so much to our community, and this of course was an election commitment that was made to the Sikh community in 2018 to name a landmark in honour of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in recognition of our Sikh community. If I can just give you a brief summary of these issues, the site at Berwick Springs was identified as a suitable landmark due to its positioning within the City of Casey, which is home to a very large Sikh community population. In progressing this commitment, I at all times took the advice of my department. I understand that there have been some views expressed about the consultation process, and we heard that during the recent debate on the petition that was before the chamber a couple of sitting weeks ago. I have also met with some representatives from the Berwick Springs Community Association and with the local member to hear those concerns directly. However, the government stands by the decision that it took. It is important that our place names reflect the true multiculturalism and diversity of our state, and that is exactly what we have done in naming a previously unnamed lake.

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:30): Many government MPs, including the minister, brought up Nazis in relation to this debate, and this is highly offensive. When I visited Berwick Springs, I met a Russian immigrant whose grandfather fought with the Red Army against the Nazis and another man that was Jewish. They were highly offended by the implication that they were in any way sympathetic or associated with Nazis. As I stated in my speech on the petition debate, it is the actions of the government that have caused division and disharmony. The recent comments on SBS Punjabi social media highlight that it has also caused division within the Sikh community, with people stating that they were upset with the decision of Sikh leaders to collaborate with the government on this decision, and many were very sympathetic to the residents of Berwick Springs. The actions of the government to bypass any appropriate process, seemingly against the advice of pretty much everyone, have caused significant harm in the Berwick Springs community. Will the minister apologise?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:31): I thank Mr Limbrick for his supplementary question. I would not accept the premise of the question. It is a matter of fact that neo-Nazis turned up. It may be that it was uninvited, but they did turn up to a community rally that Mrs Hermans and the Leader of the Opposition attended.

Ann-Marie Hermans: On a point of order, President, I take offence at having my name in any shape or form associated with Nazis, and I ask that the minister retract her use of my name in that sentence. I will not put up with it any longer.

The PRESIDENT: The minister actually did not align you with those people. She actually said they were uninvited.

Ingrid STITT: What I was about to go on to say was to clarify, directly in response to Mr Limbrick, that at no time did I indicate that there was any implication that members of this community had anything to do with that. I was very clear about that point during the petition debate. Check Hansard if you do not believe me. The reality is that this issue has caused division across the community, including for the Sikh community, but that does not take away from the fact that the government is proud to have delivered on the election commitment we gave.