Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. While we've been back in our electorates getting the latest updates on what's happening in the real world, the Minister for Regional Development has been finding more and more ways to snub Victorians, particularly us in the northern suburbs. The latest target is the Regional Development Australia committees in Victoria, which the government is bulldozing. For years, the Northern Melbourne RDA has been a big part of the development in my electorate of McEwen, as it has been in those seats around me, such as Batman, Scullin and Calwell. But, just as with all the good things that come our way, this government is determined to shut it down.

As of December this year, the four Melbourne Regional Development Australia committees will be amalgamated into one big mess. I say it's a mess because, whenever the government puts its hands on something, you can guarantee it's going to turn into a mess. It means shutting down the focus on the northern suburbs and the north of Melbourne and making bureaucratic chaos out of what has been, until now, a prosperous committee achieving for all of our communities. The four RDAs have catered to the diverse needs of the growing Melbourne regional population. Having four separate, concentrated focuses acknowledging the needs of smaller community based projects has been at the forefront of creating a plan for the development of Melbourne's outer peripheries.

The Northern Melbourne RDA specialised in focusing on our own unique region, ranging from rural to semirural to urban communities. The amalgamation is especially dangerous for McEwen, with a shift from focused, critical support for development in our region to a more—so-called—big-picture, blanket approach. By merging the RDAs the new committee will be overstretched and underresourced to manage and deliver such a vast development plan.

We know already that, since the election of the Andrews government, Victoria has become a boom place. Each and every day there are people moving in. Roughly 2,000 people a month move into my electorate alone. This means big stresses on our infrastructure. The state government can't keep up when this federal government is allocating only seven per cent of what we're entitled to on infrastructure. This causes problems day in and day out. Look at what they're doing with cutting manufacturing job support in Victoria. You can see why the issues are coming. The government here is either too blind to see the future or clearly doesn't care.

Projects like The Future Workforce: Melbourne's North report won't be a priority anymore. No longer will the Northern Melbourne RDA run initiatives such as leadership programs for disadvantaged young women or assist us in advocating for the full NBN rollout in Victoria. The RDA has delivered projects that have had a significant impact on my community. I've been really proud to see these projects delivered that shape the region. It has brought in major tourism with projects such as the development at Hanging Rock. It has transformed it into a venue for large events and concerts and has brought in everyone from Leonard Cohen to Bruce Springsteen—and the mighty Oils are coming shortly.

Our region, particularly McEwen, is one of the fastest growing in the country. While we continue to boom, the government again and again denies us vital infrastructure support and funding. This ongoing unequal distribution of infrastructure funding already adversely impacts on our productivity and livability, and this amalgamation is only going to make things worse. The Northern Melbourne RDA's home page states that the region is facing and will continue to face unprecedented growth. The minister could take two seconds and have a look at the page to see how unfair this amalgamation is going to be for our region.

The minister's RDA reform is supposed to grow strong and confident regional communities. Exactly how does that work? Not even she knows. All four RDAs in Melbourne have unique roles to play—something this government is determined to overlook. It's a bit like their citizenship status—they forget these things and pop it to the side.

One project that has been funded is the final stages of the Vietnam veterans walk. This is a national iconic space for our Vietnam veterans. It's something close to my heart and I've been pushing from day one to see it completed. Our deep military history in the northern suburbs is very cherished by all of us. We always remember to honour those who have fallen for our country.

We have benefited from critical infrastructure through the RDA that promotes a healthy lifestyle and provides family facilities in our community. There is the Splash waterpark, with its state-of-the-art aquatic and gym facilities in the booming community of Craigieburn, as well as a synthetic athletics track, a new pavilion and other recreational facilities that enrich our communities. It's time the ministers pulled back and actually thought about communities rather than themselves.

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