Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:47): My constituency question is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events. The famous Cape Otway lighthouse is a vital part of the Great Ocean Road visitor experience. The lighthouse is set to close under financial difficulty caused by Labor’s second wave. The government has an opportunity to provide a lifeline to the lighthouse by offering a long-term Crown lease to give the operator confidence and security. The operator of the lighthouse, Matt Bowker, has said:

Many businesses and people rely on visitors to the light station for their income. It won’t only be our business that will suffer …

I concur with Mr Bowker. We need to ensure that tourism on the Great Ocean Road can immediately bounce back strongly. Will the minister ensure that the Cape Otway lightstation is offered a long-term lease by this government?