I am pleased to be able to speak in support of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Bill 2024, following on from solid contributions from my friend the member for Albert Park.

Last week I had the great pleasure of joining with the Minister for Education and the members for Ripon and Eureka to celebrate the official opening of the new buildings at the Ballarat Specialist School Gillies Street campus in my electorate of Wendouree.

Thanks to the Allan Labor Government works at the Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ) are forging ahead, with construction beginning on an extension to Liberator Drive. Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney today announced that Winslow Constructors have secured the contract to lead this next stage of the BWEZ development, which is being delivered by Development Victoria on behalf of Regional Development Victoria.

I thank the Member for Wendouree for her question and her tremendous advocacy for this fantastic project. I was pleased to recently visit Ballarat station with the Member and thank you for your insights into the future works.

Students at Ballarat Specialist School will now have access to a range of new and modern learning facilities, thanks to the Allan Labor Government. Minister for Education Ben Carroll celebrated the new buildings at Ballarat Specialist School, as they opened their doors for the first time today.

Teachers and school leaders in Ballarat and western Victoria can now boost their skills even further with a new Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership centre transforming education in the region. Minister for Education Ben Carroll visited the Ballarat centre today for its official opening.

My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety regarding intersection upgrades in Alfredton in my electorate of Wendouree.

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.