I rise to contribute to today’s matter of public importance discussion and talk about issues pertaining to women and Aboriginal Victorians in our justice system and corrections system. I am very pleased to see that we have a former Minister for Corrections, the member for Niddrie, sitting at the table, who did very, very good work in terms of the first year and a bit of this government. I really want to thank the minister for the great work and the leadership he showed in this sector in terms of crime prevention, in terms of corrections and in terms of all that he did. You were a very, very good minister, so thank you very much for that.

I am very pleased to rise to speak in support of the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme Bill 2021, which provides both commercial tenants and commercial landlords with protection and support in navigating the continued impact of COVID-19. It is always a pleasure to follow in the footsteps of the member for St Albans. I often stop in Sunshine for some great Vietnamese but I am yet to venture into St Albans on my way home, but now if it is good enough for Postcards, I will very much forward to it. When you think that St Albans has been described as having good people, good food and good experiences, of course they would have a very good MP. What a great contribution you have made.

My question is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, regarding the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League matches to be held at the magnificent Eastern Oval on 13 and 14 November. I am so excited about welcoming some of the world’s best cricketers to Ballarat and seeing the next generation be inspired by our Renegades stars, like Jess Duffin. Will the minister please provide an overview of how these four WBBL matches will benefit the Ballarat community and our local economy?

I would like to thank the Member for Wendouree for her question, and also take this opportunity to thank The Orange Door team in Central Highlands for their work, commitment and dedication in commencing a new Orange Door service in October 2020 during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

New pedestrian-operated traffic lights at a busy Ballarat intersection have been switched on, keeping hundreds of school students safe on their journey to and from school. Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison said the new lights at the intersection of Sturt, Russell and Morrison streets are part of a broader $4.8 million investment by the Andrews Labor Government in boosting safety along the western end of Sturt Street.

The Andrews Labor Government is supporting regional Victoria’s recovery from the COVID pandemic by investing in local jobs and stimulating the regional economy. Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle today announced $300,000 for a Resilience and Innovation Program for small businesses across Ballarat and the Grampians to be run by Commerce Ballarat.

I thank the Member for providing me with the opportunity to share an update on the significant amount of work underway to improve the Ballarat road network.

I thank the Member for Wendouree for her question and for her continued support of community sport in her local community.

The Andrews Labor Government is investing $49.2 million to build 162 new supported independent living homes, ensuring Victorians living with mental illness have the security and stability of a home. This includes a project in Ballarat West, delivering 16 new supported independent living homes in Redan for people living with mental illness, as part of the nation-leading Big Housing Build.

The Andrews Labor Government is bringing more AFL games to regional Victoria with Greater Western Sydney set to take on the Gold Coast Suns at Mars Stadium in Ballarat this Sunday 11 July.With support from the Regional Events Fund, the match marks the first home game of an interstate team to be played at Mars Stadium and adds to the suite of home-and-away matches played by the Western Bulldogs at the venue. 

Federation University will build the nation’s first wind turbine training tower to prepare Victorian students for jobs in the booming renewable energy sector.Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney and Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio today turned the first sod at the Mount Helen campus, the gateway to wind farms across Western Victoria.

A new and expanded mental health and well-being support hub has opened in Ballarat, giving locals the care and support they need on their doorstep, thanks to the Victorian Government.Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health Steve Dimopoulos today opened the new Cooinda Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub, which will provide an array of health and social services including children’s assessments, counselling, and family violence support.