Wednesday, 16 October 2024

 Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (19:05): (863) Lilydale is a wonderful and growing community. However, traffic congestion has significantly increased in the heart of Lilydale as a result of the state government’s changes to the road network, causing frustration and serious concerns about safety in times of emergency. The matter I raise is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action I seek is to conduct and publish a risk assessment investigation into the impact of the road closure of Melba Avenue at Cave Hill Road after the recent trapping of residents and emergency vehicles with the July 2024 flooding of the Olinda Creek in Lilydale. Our community hopes that such an investigation would offer recommendations on how to rectify the damage caused by the government’s closure of Melba Avenue at Cave Hill Road. There is significant community concern about traffic flow through Lilydale since the government’s removal of the level crossings at Lilydale on Main Street and Melba Avenue at Cave Hill Road, with residents experiencing a massive increase in traffic congestion and being trapped after the recent significant storms and flooding event in Lilydale as a result of these road and traffic changes that I just mentioned.

Despite the Labor government promising the level crossing removal at Main Street, Lilydale, would slash congestion and travel times, it has done the complete opposite. Congestion is far worse now, and the poor road network planning has created congestion pinch points and dangerous safety hazards by (a) reducing two lanes down to one lane inside the intersection under the new station and rail bridge on Main Street and (b) removing the second access road in and out of Lilydale at Melba Avenue at Cave Hill Road. The government’s decision to close Melba Avenue at Cave Hill Road means that Hutchinson Street onto Main Street, Lilydale, is now the only access road for Lilydale High School, Box Hill Institute’s Lilydale campus, the Marketplace shopping centre, a childcare centre, the public library, Melba Support Services, Cire college, industrial businesses and residents in that part of Lilydale.

Let us be clear, this was not the removal of a level crossing, just a cheap and nasty blocking off of the road without community consultation. It is dangerous, and it happened despite the objections from local emergency services warning that this would restrict emergency services vehicles and would trap residents in times of emergency. We know that that is exactly what happened when the banks of the Olinda Creek broke and Lilydale was flooded in July, preventing the movement of emergency vehicles and of thousands of people on the wrong side of John Street, Lilydale. It is a disgrace that the state Labor government’s actions could directly put at risk so many Victorians. Had the government extended the sky rail across the road and kept Melba Avenue as a thoroughfare road underneath, this would have mitigated the safety hazard. Now our community is overwhelmingly concerned about the negative impact to public safety and the impaired access for emergency services on these roads. I would like to thank Sharyn Manning, the Lilydale Township Action Group, the Lilydale CFA, SES and Yarra Ranges police for their advocacy.