Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:47): My question is for the Minister for Regional Development and concerns funding promised to the traders of Queenscliff following the state government’s withdrawal of the $2.5 million originally promised for the Destination Queenscliff project. The member for Bellarine said in August 2018:

… we are today announcing a grant of $50 000 to the traders … in Queenscliff and Pt Lonsdale … to enable the local traders to develop strategies and initiatives to drive visitation …

It was promised to be ‘for the traders of Queenscliff to determine how it will be spent’ and ‘absolutely in the hands of the Queenscliff traders’, yet these people remain in the dark about the outcome and believe they have been ignored and the money instead spent by Regional Development Victoria and its subsidiaries. I ask the minister: where did the promised money go? Was it spent by Tourism Greater Geelong? If so, then what happened to the consultation? If not, then where did $50 000 go?