Thursday, 14 November 2024

North-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:52): I had the good fortune last night of attending the Bendigo Bank of Ringwood East and Croydon AGM. I was there with the chairman Stuart Greig, the other directors, staff and very many community groups. It was great to see so many community groups were present, because of course the AGM is also the occasion where the bank is able to provide both their sponsorship and grant programs. It is an integral part of the bank putting back into our community. I was able to use that opportunity to speak to a number of traders while I was there. A number of those traders are located at Ringwood East and along Railway Avenue. What they brought to my attention, which is something that I was aware of earlier but nonetheless was emphasised last night, was the closure of both lanes at the last moment. They were, in the order of hours, advised that both lanes, in a crucial period leading up to the Christmas period, have been closed. Minister Danny Pearson, why have you ignored repeatedly the concerns of the traders at Ringwood East, and why have you chosen this time of year, of all times, to close both lanes when they are crucial to the Christmas traffic and trade?