Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Ministers statements: level crossing removals

Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery) (14:22): Over the winter break there was no break when it came to removing dangerous and congested level crossings around the state. Recently I joined with the members for Tarneit and St Albans to mark the removal of the 65th level crossing at Fitzgerald Road in Ardeer.

Mr Andrews: How many?

Ms ALLAN: I will come back to that number, Premier. In 2014 the house might recall that the Andrews Labor government promised to have 50 level crossings removed by the end of this year, yet here we are and 65 have already gone. Some call doing more a blowout. Well, yes, we have blown out the number of level crossings we committed to removing this year. Not only have we removed them ahead of schedule, we are under budget, with hundreds of millions of dollars being returned to the budget in May of this year.

As work winds down on one level crossing it ramps right back up on another. I was very pleased to be in Croydon yesterday to see another dangerous and congested level crossing that is on its way to being gone at Coolstore Road. We are removing every level crossing on the Lilydale line, and with the recent removal of the nearby level crossing at Manchester Road, Mooroolbark, the local community can see with their own eyes the benefit that it brings. I know that people are looking forward to seeing the level crossing gone in the heart of Croydon.

We get on and do the hard work of planning and delivering projects. Victorians know that when we say we will do something we do it. Others take a different approach. On Sunday morning we opened our newspapers to read that some had just proclaimed the east–west link dead. By 6 o’clock that night, though, it had been resuscitated. It feels like we are watching a re-run of Weekend at Bernie’s with this project and with the Liberal Party, who just cannot quite let it go while we get on and deliver the projects we are committed to.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Frankston is warned.