Tuesday, 20 December 2022

Sandringham electorate level crossing removals

Brad ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (19:31): (5) I also congratulate you on your elevation and election to high office. Having worked with you as a former whip in this place, I know that you will execute those duties very, very well and impartially.

My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. The action that I seek is for the minister to meet with and listen to the residents along the Frankston line who are impacted by the Highett Road, Wickham Road, Latrobe Street and Warrigal Road level crossings. The minister recently announced that the Frankston line will be level crossing free but failed to consider the consequences and impacts of that rushed decision on my community. The minister knows very well my advocacy in relation to these matters in this place. I consistently raised matters relating to the Highett Road and Wickham Road level crossing removals during the last Parliament, asking the government time and time again to deliver upon those things.

We are now faced with the circumstance where the government is proposing sky rail in Highett Road and Wickham Road to remove those two level crossings. This will have an impact on my community – an incredible impact on my community and a negative impact on my community. At this moment rumours are running rife in the community, and this is one of the reasons why I want the minister to sit down with the affected residents to listen to them and hear from them. Grace Heart Community Church, which does such wonderful work in our community, Highett Bowls Club, Lyle Anderson Reserve and the Dunkley Fox estate – a local public housing estate – are due to be impacted by the level crossing removal at Highett Road if sky rail proceeds. This is an unacceptable thing in my community.

At Warrigal Road we are hearing that there will be sky rail there again. Set aside the fact that the Warrigal Road level road crossing should have been removed at the same time as the Balcombe Road level crossing, but sky rail there will simply mean a roller-coaster ride for passengers along the Frankston line from Parkdale right through to the city.

I asked my community – 1500 households – two questions when the government announced that they would close the Latrobe Street level crossing. Firstly, were you consulted by the government before they made this announcement? And, secondly, do you want the crossing closed? The overwhelming majority, in fact 96 per cent, said that they were not consulted, and 88 per cent of respondents across 300 households said they did not want this level crossing closed. I implore the government to listen to my community and for the minister to visit my community to sit down with the residents, community groups and organisations who are affected by the thinking of the government and their ill-considered announcement.