Thursday, 6 February 2025

Beaconsfield level crossing removal

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:40): (1390) I raise a matter this evening for the attention of the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister Williams. It relates to the Station Street level crossing removal project in Beaconsfield, a project I have spoken about many times before in this chamber, which followed the successful community campaign to save the historic railway house adjacent to the station there and has been saved as a result of that campaign. I was very, very pleased to secure an intervention from the then Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan to preserve that railway heritage house, to keep it for the benefit of generations of people in Beaconsfield to come. It has been very exciting to see, in the almost two years since, the Station Street level crossing removal project really come along. To see that bridge almost completed is wonderful, especially when you take into account the huge amount of growth that is still being built and the new houses that are being built in the areas to the south of the station. It has been really wonderful as well, as the local MP out there in the Berwick and Beaconsfield area, to be working with the community on this project and to work with them to resolve any issues as they arise.

We are at the exciting stage now where we actually have the consultation process for the names for this new road bridge that is going to link between these two sides of Beaconsfield over the railway line. There were lots of really good suggestions, including one from the community, of Bunya Bunya Bridge, after the historic indigenous tree that was also saved as a result of the intervention of now Premier Allan. In order to comply with the rules set out by Geographic Names Victoria there are a number of names that have been put forward to the community, some named after the local area and some named after significant local individuals. Whilst that process is still open, it would be remiss of me not to convey to the minister the overwhelming preference that I have heard from the community for one particular name. That is McKenna Drive, named after Mary Carmel McKenna, who is an icon of Beaconsfield. She sadly passed away two years ago. She was heavily involved with the local school, St Francis Xavier, which just happens to be right at the intersection.

David Limbrick interjected.

Michael GALEA: Mr Limbrick’s school too – there you go. As Mr Limbrick would know, it is right at the intersection of this new road bridge that will remove the Beaconsfield level crossing. She was also involved in the Beaconsfield Junior Football Club and was well known, adored and respected by the Beaconsfield community. Indeed she received an OAM, so on behalf of all the Beaconsfield residents who have most strongly advocated to me, the action that I seek from the minister is that we name this wonderful new bridge McKenna Drive.