Mr HUNT (7:45 PM) —I rise to speak on a matter of importance to my electorate, the electorate of Flinders, and in particular to the town of Hastings. A proposal is currently afoot to establish an Oberon submarine, the HMAS Otama, as a tourist attraction of major importance in the town of Hastings. The Oberon submarine project has been put together by the Westernport Oberon Association, which comprises a group of volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the community. They have given their time, they have forgone their own private incomes, and they have worked assiduously for a number of years now in order to make this project a reality. In October last year they were given due reward for their efforts when the Commonwealth government announced, through an announcement in Hastings by the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, the Hon. Brendan Nelson, that it would make a gift of the submarine to the Westernport Oberon Association, and that, in addition, it would provide $500,000 for the association to transport the submarine from its current base in Fremantle, Western Australia, to Hastings. It will come along the Great Australian Bight, through Westernport to Hastings. The $500,000 is intended to cover the full cost of transport and installation. Beyond that, of course, funds will need to be raised in order to establish a first-class museum.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about this project of importance to my constituents, to outline the benefits of it and to congratulate those who have worked to bring it to fruition. The benefits are threefold. Firstly, it provides a tourism focus for a town which over the years has done it hard but which is making a real recovery. It is interesting that Hastings is a steel town. It operates the Westernport steel plant, which is expected to weather the current storms with tariffs and prosper under the new arrangements. Beyond that, Hastings has had to work hard, and what is proposed here will put the town on the map as a tourist destination. Secondly, it will provide an educational opportunity and an employment opportunity for younger members of the community. It is expected that some tens of people will be employed in the project. Thirdly, it is a source of pride. It is about working together as a community to create a sense of hope, a sense of vision and a sense of what could be for the town. That is something of which the organisers and those who have worked to create the project should be proud.

The next step is for it to go before the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. Obviously councillors will have to give it due consideration, but I urge all those who are considering their decision to note that this is a project created by the community, generated by community representatives, with the sole beneficiaries being the community, given that it is a non-profit project. In those circumstances I urge councillors to approach the final decision with open minds, to put aside any political affiliations and to focus on the benefits to the town of Hastings. Perhaps more importantly, the project fits within a broader vision for the maritime front at Hastings. It fits with the concept of a maritime college, which would also help with education. It fits with plans to build a new aquatic centre, to establish an Anzac park, and then to upgrade the marina. Taken together, all of these steps—along with the beautification of High Street—will create a new heart, in a sense, in an area which has suffered for many of the last 20 years. On all of those grounds I commend the project to the House, and I thank the government for the decision it made to provide Centenary of Federation funding.

I call upon those councillors who are to make their decisions to do so with open minds and to embrace the work that is being done. Finally, I thank those people who have been involved in generating the project: Max Bryant and the members of the Westernport Oberon Association; the Chamber of Commerce, led by Suzanne Johnston and Brian Stahl, who have contributed to the project and lent it their support; and also Councillor David Renouf, who, amongst others, has made a significant contribution over the years to bring this project about. On that note, I would like to commend the project to the House. I hope that those people with responsibility for deciding its future do so with open minds and look to the long-term benefits for Hastings.