Thursday, 17 October 2024

 Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (17:16): (872) My adjournment this evening is to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action I seek is for the minister to update my community on the benefits of Metro Tunnel for the Frankston and Cranbourne–Pakenham lines. The Metro Tunnel is a visionary, intergenerational project. It took an Andrews and Allan Labor government to deliver this project. To see the stations coming to fruition – Arden station, which I checked out recently with a number of colleagues; Parkville, in the medical precinct, which is so significant for people, being able to access important and critical medical health and support rather than having to navigate through the city during those times of care; and Anzac station and what that will be – is quite significant.

But there was a lot of opposition just a decade ago. I remember newspaper articles at the time criticising this project, saying it would never see the light of day. It was opposed by the coalition when they were in government. It was a Brumby Labor government that left $50 million for them to claim the benefits of this project and just run with the planning and go, but such was the partisan nature of approaching transport policy that they left this project for dead. It took us coming back into government and acting on behalf of Victorians. Premier Andrews at the time said these might be projects that you start but you might not necessarily get to open, and that is what this Metro Tunnel project is all about: improving the Frankston train line’s turn-up-and-go service. And it is for the Keysborough South legends in my electorate who access the Cranbourne–Pakenham line.

It has the eerie hallmarks of the conversations that we see around the Suburban Rail Loop. We do not outsource the needs of the next generation, with growth and development coming into our state and more people choosing to live in Victoria or just the natural growth in our population. We do not outsource transport needs to someone else – the lost time in cars and the mental health and wellbeing impacts that that has from being stuck in congestion and having less time with your kids and your family. On behalf of Victorians, we have always acted in their interests in road and rail infrastructure projects, whether it is the Metro rail tunnel or, as we see, the early stages of the Suburban Rail Loop. For that intergenerational work, someone has to make the decisions, and it is lucky that the Labor government makes decisions in the interest of Victorians. I am really keen for the transport infrastructure minister to update my community on the substantial and massive benefits of the Metro Tunnel for my community.