Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Southern Metropolitan Region level crossing removals

John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:48): (221) Tonight my adjournment is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure in the other place Minister Allan, and the topic of my adjournment is the level crossing removal authority and the great work that they do. I will come to the action I seek shortly. Since being elected in November 2014, our government’s priority has been clear: to remove level crossings. In my community of Southern Metro Melbourne we are removing every single level crossing on the Frankston, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, and every level crossing in Southern Metropolitan on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines – gone. We have already removed two on the Glen Waverley line, and that is a big deal.

Recently I attended the Union Road, Surrey Hills, and Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert, works site tour, where I was given an update on the work that has been completed there. What better way to visit these important works than with the Parliamentary Secretary for Level Crossing Removals, a member in the other place Josh Bull, and the member for Box Hill in the other place Paul Hamer. It was so exciting to see the apprentices and uni students learning their craft on the job. As I often say, these are jobs of the future. We need the workers. Not only are these apprentices and students learning the tricks of the trade, but they are also getting a hand in a historical infrastructure project. The level crossing in Surrey Hills along Union Road was deemed one of the most dangerous in metropolitan Melbourne, with eight near misses since 2005 and a tragic loss of life in 2016. A car was trapped inside, and it was evident that urgent action needed to be taken. With the Union Road level crossing gone we can now look to a safer Victoria. Prior to the level crossing removal the boom gate on Union Road was down for 40 per cent of the morning peak – that is 40 per cent. Think of all the time this project will save the people of Mont Albert and Surrey Hills.

This is the Andrews Labor government in action: big projects delivering for Victorians, and not just talking the talk but walking the walk. We are almost halfway through one of the biggest excavations the project has seen. On the site we viewed the progress of the dig and the installation of the lift shafts. The action that I seek is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure in the other place Minister Allan to join me at a site of her choosing, no less, because there are so many to choose from in the community of Southern Metropolitan, for a tour of the works.