Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Mooroolbark–Hull roads, Mooroolbark

Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (19:09): (175) The Mooroolbark Road and Hull Road intersection under the railway bridge in Mooroolbark is dangerous and congested, and yet the Andrews Labor government still refuses to allocate any funding to widen the road and upgrade this intersection to make it safer. It is a major bottleneck for traffic congestion and accidents. As a single-lane bottleneck there are confusion, regular accidents, near misses and even – troublingly – repeated car crashes through the so-called safety fence on Hull Road at the T-intersection and cars crashing through the fences of homes at this intersection, yet still the Andrews government does nothing. The Mooroolbark and Hull roads intersection in Mooroolbark is a major thoroughfare for local residents not only in Mooroolbark but also in Lilydale, Chirnside Park and Mount Evelyn. Despite me having highlighted the dangers of this intersection numerous times here in Parliament, the Andrews Labor government continues to ignore the desperate need to widen and upgrade these roads and this intersection.

So the action I seek is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety to allocate funding in the upcoming state budget for a major safety upgrade to the intersection of Mooroolbark and Hull roads in Mooroolbark, including widening the lanes on Mooroolbark Road, especially under the bridge, making it a dual carriageway, and to join with me to visit this intersection to see how important this investment would be for my community, because this intersection remains a single-lane bottleneck. Whether it is cars, buses or, say, ambulances or fire trucks needing to get through in an emergency, only one lane of traffic can get through and pass under the rail bridge at any one time. It is a massive safety hazard.

Given the government has confirmed that the low height of the rail bridge is not a limitation on the ability to widen this underpass, why has it done nothing to act? Why does it continue to refuse to allocate funding to make this intersection safer and meet the needs of this growing community? They are state roads and the responsibility of this government. Our community deserves that this government fix this dangerous and congested intersection in Mooroolbark, at Mooroolbark and Hull roads. Do it before the congestion will drastically worsen as thousands more cars come into the area as a result of the thousands of new homes being built at the Kinley housing development just next door.