Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (23:17): (2071) My adjournment is for the Minister for Water, and the action I am seeking is for the minister to meet with the Friends of Anglesea River. Over the past few years this grassroots community group has been raising awareness about their concerns with Alcoa’s Anglesea application to extend their groundwater licence to fill their legacy mine void. What initially began as a group of local residents who were alarmed by the decline in the Anglesea River estuary has grown into an active and engaged collective who deeply care about what happens next. Friends of Anglesea River has gained significant media attention, hosting river walks, social nights and a fantastic community event recently that drew over 400 local people to a community hall. They have advocated to numerous decision-makers, including Southern Rural Water, who received 170 individual submissions on this application, and to you, the minister.

It is my understanding that representatives of the group wish to deliver a community petition bearing 1635 signatures, almost half the population of the town, to the Minister for Water. Further, they wish to meet with you to discuss the concerns of the community and experts who have weighed in on the dangers associated with this application. Minister, as you know, mine rehabilitation obligations must be enforced in ways that are environmentally responsible, safe and sustainable for the Anglesea community and for the region’s future. An already depleted groundwater landscape cannot afford any further environmental stress. As the Minister for Water and a fellow member for Western Victoria, I strongly urge you to accept a copy of their petition as a record of community opposition and hear the concerns of the Friends of Anglesea River about this unnecessary proposal.