I too am very pleased to contribute to the debate today in support of the State Sporting Legislation Amendment Bill 2024.

Whilst Ballarat is well known for its winter weather, freezing temperatures and icy wind chills, the show must go on and it does. Congratulations to the BLOC Music Theatre on their staging of 9 to 5: The Musical at the Civic Hall for two weeks in July.

The adjournment matter that I wish to raise is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is for the minister to come to my electorate of Wendouree to meet with stakeholders to discuss our plan for Victoria.

The Allan Labor Government is ensuring that every Victorian student can learn in the best facilities – with dozens of local, low-fee Catholic schools to receive funding to upgrade classrooms and build new facilities. Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison visited Our Lady Help of Christians School in Wendouree to announce 28 Catholic schools in regional Victoria will share in more than $103 million to expand and modernise existing facilities or build new schools.

The Victorian Government has invested $500,000 for a significant transformation at the Sebastopol South Kindergarten in Spencer Street as a part of $2.7 billion kinder building program.

Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison today announced that the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre (BALC) will share in more than $20 million to make its facilities more accessible for the community from The Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund.

The Allan Labor Government’s $655 million Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment has now entered its final stage, as preparations for the new hospital tower and emergency department begin. Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison, Member for Eureka Michaela Settle and Member for Ripon Martha Haylett today announced that excavation, piling and demolition work will take place over the next 12 months.

I thank the Member for Wendouree for her kind invitation to attend White Night Ballarat. It was a pleasure to attend with her along with 65,000 people to celebrate Ballarat being projected – quite literally – in a new light.

The Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ) is a major success story for local job creation, with works on track to exceed expectations for the number of local workers, suppliers and materials sourced during construction thanks to the Allan Labor Government. Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney today joined Member for Ripon Martha Haylett, Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and the team from building firm Winslow Constructors to see first-hand the latest construction progress at the precinct.

Free parking at Ballarat GovHub will be made available to the local community – supporting jobs growth and helping the vibrant regional city to be an even better place to live, work and visit. Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney today announced that 120 car spaces in the city’s GovHub will be open for everyone to use from 2025, so locals have even more free parking options that are close by to where they want to go.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate and speak in support of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Integrity, Defamation and Other Matters) Bill 2024. This is a bill which proposes a variety of small but important improvements for our justice system and our integrity agencies.

Great news for the North Ballarat Football & Netball Club and the North Ballarat Cricket Club, with $5 million from the Allan Labor government to deliver new clubrooms and facilities at north oval 2.

It was great to attend the Ballarat Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre Inc. AGM with the member for Eureka and the member for Ripon.

Victoria’s hardworking volunteer firefighters will be better equipped to keep their communities safe, with 25 new CFA pumpers rolling off local assembly lines thanks to support from the Allan Labor Government. Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes today visited Wendouree-based SEM Fire and Rescue to announce the company will build all the new pumpers and confirm the first ten CFA brigades to receive the vehicles.

The Allan Labor Government has revealed the early designs for a $50 million upgrade to Ballarat Station to improve accessibility. The new plans released today include installing a pedestrian overpass with a passenger lift and stairs to both platforms.

I thank the Member for Wendouree for her question and am pleased to advise the following regarding the new roundabout under construction at Dyson Drive and Ballarat-Carngham Road as part of the Keep Ballarat Moving program.