Tuesday, 18 November 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (23:45): (2140) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, and the action that I seek is for the minister to fund construction of new onsite parking at Expedition Pass Reservoir in the 2026–27 state budget. Expedition Pass Reservoir is a popular recreation waterway in the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, owned and managed by Parks Victoria. People travel there from all over central Victoria for fishing, birdwatching or even paddling a canoe, but more than anything it is a favourite swimming spot for local families and is especially popular on hot days, when the small car park on Golden Point Road fills up very quickly. When the car park is full it is common for vehicles to start parking along the roadside, and every hot summer’s day the road becomes crammed with parked vehicles, making it unsafe for pedestrians to cross and forcing cars to drive down the centre of the road. The Victorian government is currently spending $6 million to strengthen the reservoir’s dam walls, and it should back that spending by also investing to improve the visitor experience. The current lack of parking and pathway infrastructure means that there is a heightened safety risk for pedestrians walking from their cars to the water, as well as for motorists and cyclists.

Mount Alexander Shire Council has conducted an analysis of traffic and parking conditions and made changes to the local road rules to improve safety, but more needs to be done. Council has identified a suitable location for building a new car park on land managed by Parks Victoria on Llewellyn Road. Parks Victoria have also confirmed to council that they are open to putting a car park on this site, but they do not have the funds for construction. The Victorian government must step up and match their investment in the reservoir itself by investing in the infrastructure that allows more people to visit and enjoy the reservoir. I call on the minister to improve safety for pedestrians and accessibility for visitors who drive to this beautiful spot by funding the construction of new public parking at Expedition Pass Reservoir.