The State Environment Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, has been asked to explain why the promised Marlo to Cape Conran shared path has been cancelled and where the
$13.5 million allocated to deliver the project has gone.
Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, raised the matter in Parliament recently, reminding the Government that following the 2019/20 fires, it announced funding for both the shared path and a potable water pipeline.
“It was big news at the time – front page of the local paper – and was welcomed by a community rebuilding after disaster. Everyone believed the funding was secure,” Mr Bull said.
“Now, the community has been blindsided by a casual announcement that the path is scrapped and potable water will be supplied via tanks rather than a pipeline.
“The water supply remains, but why axe a bike path that would have been valuable tourism infrastructure?”
Parks Victoria has cited “insufficient budget” for the cancellation. Mr Bull says that’s not good enough.
“You either find the money to deliver what you promised, or at the very least reinvest it in a new local project,” he said.
Mr Bull has asked the Minister to explain:
– Why the shared path project was
cancelled, and
– What has happened to the $13.5 million committed to it.
“Has it been reallocated elsewhere, or simply disappeared back into consolidated revenue? You can’t promise this to a community, pull the plug and not explain why or where the money has gone,” Mr Bull said.
