Thursday, 20 September 2018

 Ms GREEN (Yan Yean) (17:19): (15 042) The last adjournment matter that I wish to raise in this Parliament is for the Minister for Public Transport, who has delivered so much to the Yan Yean electorate over the last four years. The action I seek is for her to provide assurances to my community that the $530 million Hurstbridge line upgrade stage 2 will deliver an unprecedented level of rail services for Melbourne’s north-east, while importantly preserving the livability and the much-loved Eltham trestle bridge as well as retaining valuable parkland along Diamond Creek.

At a recent public transport forum the Liberal candidate for Eltham said he was only interested in Eltham and not in Diamond Creek or Mernda. I find that alarming given that the southern part of the Eltham electorate in fact encompasses Diamond Creek. Other Liberal operatives in the area — being the Nillumbik mayor and my opponent, also a former Nillumbik councillor — are favouring a full duplication of the line to Hurstbridge and saying that this is what is needed to deliver 20-minute services. Neither of the alternate Liberal plans includes a new station and bus interchange at Greensborough, which, as you know, Speaker, is essential to improve bus travel times and the ease of connection between bus and rail.

A number of the plans articulated by Nillumbik shire, being the full duplication to Hurstbridge and the upgrade of the small dirt country lane that is Allendale Road to arterial status, have nothing at all to do with delivering better roads and public transport but everything to do with assisting the opposition leader to deliver his 290 000 new house lots in Melbourne, which we know cannot be included inside the current urban growth boundary, which places Nillumbik’s green wedge at huge risk.

Not only can the Liberals not be trusted on planning but they cannot be trusted on public transport. They have two alternate plans being articulated in the Diamond Valley and they are poorly costed. They cannot be trusted on public transport because they have never actually delivered anything. They have never built any; they have only ever talked about it. I think they went to the election before last promising four rail lines and delivered none. We know that their record in the 1990s was merely closing rail lines. If we go back to before I was born, they closed the Whittlesea rail line.

Ms Allan interjected.

Ms GREEN: Yes, 38 years ago. I would trust the Minister for Public Transport on any measure to deliver a public transport project. I feel certain that she will be able to give my community the assurances that are needed, that this public transport project, yet another public transport project, can be delivered.

Finally, I want to thank my electorate staff, my volunteers and everyone who has assisted over the last four years. I wish the numerous numbers of my colleagues who are retiring all the very best.