Level crossing removals
Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:58): Recently I had the privilege of joining Minister Williams and Mr Tarlamis for the opening of the new McKenna Drive bridge in Beaconsfield, marking the 85th level crossing removal under this Allan Labor government. We are building things. It is terrific to see this new piece of local infrastructure supporting what is going to continue to be the growing population of Beaconsfield, with new estates in Berwick to the south of the station precinct. This new level crossing removal is helping to make local traffic smoother and safer. Indeed we know that these crossing removal projects are having an impact. In 2019, for example, there was an average of 11 road, car and train incidents at level crossings per month. As of 2024 that is just two incidents a month. So these projects are making very significant congestion but also safety improvements for everyday Victorians such as those constituents of mine in Beaconsfield. I thank all those Beaconsfield residents who have been so engaged with the process, including by assisting me with a small community reference group. I really appreciate their input.