Thursday, 27 August 2026

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria) (09:46): With new community facilities, protecting special places and backing local sporting clubs, it has been a great fortnight across Geelong and the Surf Coast. I joined Treasurer Brooks, my Geelong Labor colleagues and local leaders at the Committee for Geelong’s annual lunch, where focus was firmly on our region’s future, local jobs and the opportunities ahead. At another activity in Armstrong Creek, Minister Blandthorn, our Labor candidate for South Barwon Rebecca Thistleton and I announced the new Lauderdale Court community hub, bringing kinder, maternal and child health services and community spaces together under one roof. On another matter, at Spring Creek I joined Minister Kilkenny, our candidate for Polwarth Hutch Hussein and local campaigners to announce a permanent protected settlement boundary. After an 18-year community campaign, land west of Duffields Road has been returned to the farming zone, protecting this beautiful valley from any future development. In addition, in Lorne we have switched on the new lighting at Stribling Reserve, giving Dolphin netballers more flexibility to train and play, made possible with funding from the Carroll Labor government and a contribution from the Dolphins. All of these projects are different in all sorts of ways but have the same focus: listening to local communities and delivering what matters.