Tuesday, 10 September 2019

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:42): My question is for the Minister for Local Government. Minister, I refer to the environment effects process being undertaken into the government’s North East Link Project and to the advice of Andrew O’Brien, a leading expert on freeway design, on behalf of the cities of Boroondara, Whitehorse and Banyule. He said that:

Without the East West Link, the North East Link would not be able to achieve the slated benefits.

He said that chronic queueing at Hoddle Street would also worsen. He also said that:

One of the underlying assumptions not stated in the Environmental Effects Statement documentation is that the Hoddle Street queues are mitigated by another major infrastructure project … the East West Link.

I therefore ask: Minister, given the critical impact of the North East Link Project on their communities, have the cities of Boroondara or Whitehorse or Banyule raised their submissions on this project with you, and if so, have you conveyed their position to central government?

The PRESIDENT: There were two questions. Minister, you can answer one if you like.

 Mr SOMYUREK (South Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Small Business) (12:44): No.

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:44): President, I take the Minister’s answer at its value, and I ask him: will he inquire of these councils to understand the impact of this project on their communities?

 Mr SOMYUREK (South Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Small Business) (12:44): This really should be a question to Minister Allan in the other place, and there is also an environment effects statement process underway at the moment, as we speak. The councils have not raised any objections with me themselves. My idea of being a good minister, be that Minister for Local Government or Minister for Small Business, is that I am there to listen and I am accessible. So if these particular councils have a problem that they want to speak to me about, I am happy to listen to them.