Thursday, 31 October 2024

Upfield rail line

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (22:08): (1253) My adjournment is directed towards the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action I seek from the minister relates to the proposed elevation of train stations along the Upfield rail line in Brunswick in my electorate. I know the minister broke his promise to the people of Brunswick to deliver the Upfield level crossing removals by I think 2026 or 2027. It is now after 2030, which is, frankly, clearly a strategy for any seat the Labor Party did not win: to push out projects in those electorates.

It has been reported in the Age newspaper that as a result of the government’s proposal to consolidate the existing Brunswick, Anstey and Jewell stations into two stations, the residents of the Nightingale complex in Brunswick have concerns around the proximity of the station to their homes, in some cases just metres from their balconies. Prior to media reports on the issue I had been contacted by residents, and I have met with residents who are concerned that the proposal puts privacy screens as high as the third floor and that the station design will not adequately take into account the design of the new building and the need for noise controls. We saw what happened with Keon Park station sky rail in the northern suburbs, where literally this is the balcony, and this is the train platform. That is how much they have botched these level crossings. And the government’s response to that was to give people little temporary earplugs; it was not to say, ‘Here’s some double glazing’ or anything else like that.

We saw the Premier visit the Nightingale complex in her first week in office and praise it as former industrial land which has been transformed into quality sustainable housing. It would be a shame if the result of poor planning and design by her government and its departments was that this 203-apartment complex with 350 residents became partly unlivable.

I am informed by a concerned resident that just south of Hope Street there is a block of land which is soon to be developed into an apartment block in the same vein as the Nightingale complex. Moving the station just 180 metres south presents an opportunity for the government to work with developers of this yet-to-be-built housing to design a development and a station. They could be in concert with each other – it sounds like a good idea. Locals inform me that it would have the added benefit of improving links between the new train station and local bus routes. So the action I seek of the minister is to explore this option for the good people of Brunswick.