Thursday, 23 June 2022

Eastern Victoria Region

Ms BURNETT-WAKE (Eastern Victoria) (12:46): (1872) My constituency question is to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety on behalf of a Gembrook resident. Minister, when will Wellington Road in my electorate receive the upgrades it so desperately needs? Wellington Road is notorious for fatal and dangerous accidents. The road is a critical link between the Casey and Cardinia regions and is relied upon by thousands of my constituents every day. It was reported back in 2019 that the main thoroughfare between Napoleon Road and Berwick Road carried more than 10 000 vehicles per day. As one of the main roads in and out of Gembrook, Cockatoo and Emerald, this is particularly dangerous given Wellington Road is only a single lane. Federal member for La Trobe Jason Wood announced $110 million in federal funding back in April 2019 to go towards upgrades. The state government say they are currently considering the upgrade, but my constituents deserve action. The government’s own studies have already shown them that 93 per cent of survey respondents support the upgrade. Wellington Road has missed out on much-needed upgrades for far too long. We must get this done urgently before more lives are lost.