Thursday, 5 February 2026

 Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:46): My constituency question is for the Minister for Planning. It concerns the Ballarat North precinct structure plan. The City of Ballarat have raised a number of significant concerns around the PSP, including the credibility of some of the technical assessments undertaken. The Victorian Planning Authority engaged consultants on a number of matters, including biodiversity, but none of these matters are actually being addressed in the PSP. Transport is a key concern, with no recommendation for a third crossing over the Western Highway and a lack of planning for active transport options. Many roads are projected to be over capacity; however, they remain unaddressed in the PSP. The developer contribution plan prepared by the VPA has many gaps. Some projects should be included but are not, and many other projects are also not included. The current cost of infrastructure is meant to be $180 million, and the current developer infrastructure levy is over $672,000 per developable hectare. Minister, will you intervene to make sure growth is managed properly in a responsible manner, because at the moment it is almost unaffordable.