North East Link – Bulleen Art and Garden – RodBarton

I asked the Minister for Planning to detail the process for compulsory acquisition of the Bulleen Industrial Zone businesses.

Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:57): My constituency question today is for the Minister for Planning, Minister Wynne. I recently visited the businesses of the Bulleen industrial zone, including the 50-year-old Bulleen Art & Garden. Current owners Bruce and Meredith Plain have been there for 37 of those years and have built a strong community around sustainable gardening and an iconic art gallery space that is a destination for local artists. This is a suburban institution that will be very difficult to relocate. Bruce and Meredith, along with many of their neighbours, are in disbelief that anyone would design a road tunnel to pop up in the middle of a thriving business district. They have no idea what will happen next to date, and no information has been forthcoming from the North East Link authority. So I ask the minister: what is the actual process for compulsory acquisition of the Bulleen industrial zone businesses and when will these businesses get some answers to the very many questions they have?