I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many events that we have missed in Ballarat due to the COVID pandemic, and also the grace and generosity in the way the many organisers have readjusted plans and moved things online wherever possible.

I thank Ms Addison for the invitation to visit her electorate of Wendouree. I would like to acknowledge the COVID response efforts of health care workers from Ballarat Health Services and Ballarat Community Health and thank them for their dedication and hard work. 

Firstly, I wish to commend Mount Rowan Secondary College’s staff for the invaluable contribution that they make to the school community. I acknowledge their commitment to providing an exceptional learning environment where students are engaged, stimulated, and encouraged to be creative thinkers.

I wish to congratulate the current and former VCE students from schools in my electorate of Wendouree who have been honoured in the 2020 Premier’s VCE Awards. These awards acknowledge the academic excellence of the students during a year of great instability and uncertainty as a result of the COVID pandemic and remote learning. I offer my congratulations to Loreto College Ballarat dux Sarah Harrington on achieving 99.95. In recognition she has received a top all-rounder VCE high achievers award, one of only 23 in the state.

My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit my electorate of Wendouree to celebrate the practical completion of works at Mount Rowan Secondary College. The minister is no stranger to Mount Rowan Secondary College, having visited the school on several occasions to see progress of our record investment into the school’s redevelopment. The Andrews Labor government most recently provided over $3.5 million in the 2019 state budget to upgrade and modernise school facilities.

I rise to contribute to today’s matter of public importance discussion and talk about issues pertaining to women and Aboriginal Victorians in our justice system and corrections system. I am very pleased to see that we have a former Minister for Corrections, the member for Niddrie, sitting at the table, who did very, very good work in terms of the first year and a bit of this government. I really want to thank the minister for the great work and the leadership he showed in this sector in terms of crime prevention, in terms of corrections and in terms of all that he did. You were a very, very good minister, so thank you very much for that.

I am very pleased to rise to speak in support of the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme Bill 2021, which provides both commercial tenants and commercial landlords with protection and support in navigating the continued impact of COVID-19. It is always a pleasure to follow in the footsteps of the member for St Albans. I often stop in Sunshine for some great Vietnamese but I am yet to venture into St Albans on my way home, but now if it is good enough for Postcards, I will very much forward to it. When you think that St Albans has been described as having good people, good food and good experiences, of course they would have a very good MP. What a great contribution you have made.

My question is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, regarding the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League matches to be held at the magnificent Eastern Oval on 13 and 14 November. I am so excited about welcoming some of the world’s best cricketers to Ballarat and seeing the next generation be inspired by our Renegades stars, like Jess Duffin. Will the minister please provide an overview of how these four WBBL matches will benefit the Ballarat community and our local economy?

I would like to thank the Member for Wendouree for her question, and also take this opportunity to thank The Orange Door team in Central Highlands for their work, commitment and dedication in commencing a new Orange Door service in October 2020 during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

I thank the Member for providing me with the opportunity to share an update on the significant amount of work underway to improve the Ballarat road network.

I thank the Member for Wendouree for her question and for her continued support of community sport in her local community.

Thank you for your question Ms Addison. It is a pleasure to have yourself and Kat Theophanous MP co-chairing the Gender Equality Advisory Committee which was announced in February 2021.

I wish to pay my respects to the life of David Haymes, who passed away on Tuesday, 15 June 2021. David Haymes was the beloved head of Australia’s first family of paint. He was husband to Jenny; father to Belinda, Matt and Tim; father-in-law to Rod, Kym and Colette; and grandpa to Chloe, Joel, Gemma, Gabrielle, Riley and Charlotte.

I stand to speak in support of the legislation that is before the house, the Energy Legislation Amendment Bill 2021, and I am very pleased to see that it is receiving bipartisan support.

Click here for video Ms ADDISON (Wendouree) (11:34): I am delighted to rise and speak on this very, very significant and important bill for our state—that being the Education and Training Reform Amendment (Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership) Bill 2021. It will enhance teaching and..

My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide me with an update on the massive road blitz that is being undertaken to keep Ballarat moving.

My constituency question is to the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence. Minister, could you please provide an update on what services the Central Highlands Orange Door network are providing for my constituents in Wendouree?

I rise to speak in support of the Child Wellbeing and Safety (Child Safe Standards Compliance and Enforcement) Amendment Bill 2021. We are introducing this significant legislation to protect children across Victoria from child abuse and improve compliance with child safety standards.