Wednesday, 8 June 2022

Mordialloc electorate transport infrastructure

Mr RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (10:02): Our community is transforming before our eyes with the practical completion of the Edithvale and Chelsea level crossing removals and the building of brand new stations. The Mordialloc Freeway has now been in operation for six months and is taking 54 000 vehicles off our local roads, giving local roads back to local residents and making our communities safer for the future. It has been the missing link in the south-eastern suburbs and through Kingston and Greater Dandenong for many years. We embark on the next journey of those vital infrastructure upgrades in our community with the removal of the Parkdale level crossings. Early concept designs are underway. Twenty thousand vehicle movements pass through each and every day. We have 44 minutes of boom gate downtime in that 2-hour peak and 34 trains that pass through. We know this will get worse as the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel comes online.

I was so proud to join the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and share the early conceptual designs reimagining what is possible for our community in Parkdale—open community spaces, recreational areas, better connectivity. Literally the divide between Como Parade West and Como Parade East will no longer occur with the removal of these level crossings. It is part of more than 20 that have been removed from the Frankston train line and 13 brand new stations being built as we reimagine our communities, transform our suburbs for the future and build back better while supporting thousands of jobs, apprentices and cadets along the way. It is all about the Andrews Labor government delivering for the Kingston and Dandenong communities.