Thursday, 6 February 2025

 Melissa HORNE (Williamstown – Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Minister for Health Infrastructure) (10:21): I rise today to give voice to my community, who are vehemently opposed to the closure of Champion Road as part of the level crossing removals at Maddox Road and Champion Road. Whilst the removal of level crossings delivers safety outcomes for everyone in the community, there are a number of concerns that my community have with the closure of Champion Road. Firstly, there are only four roads in and out of Williamstown, and the closure of Champion Road removes one of those important access points. Although there are plans to reconfigure the road network to provide additional access through Akuna Drive, the current plans are not supported by the community.

Secondly, there are a number of safety concerns raised by putting additional traffic on Maddox Road, where there are a wonderful primary school and childcare centres. There needs to be much more work done on improving safety outcomes, particularly for children, pedestrians and cyclists. There are also concerns that the intersection of Maddox Road and Akuna Drive does not deliver an outcome for cars to turn right across traffic. Along the rail corridor there are beautiful trees that have been lovingly planted and cared for by the local community. They provide habitat for black cockatoos and help mitigate noise from freight trains. To date there has been no advice provided on what can be protected and saved.

Finally, there are also significant concerns from local businesses that will be detrimentally affected by the construction. I have been working with the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and I understand the minister is considering a range of options in relation to these concerns. I will continue these discussions to advocate for better community outcomes.