Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

Jacinta ALLAN
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Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:11): On Monday I had the opportunity to visit the future Box Hill station site with the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, but I was also joined by local Labor members of Parliament the member for Box Hill, the member for Ashwood, the member for Bentleigh and of course the member for Glen Waverley, who were all there.

We were also joined by a young planning student named Caden. Caden is part of the Suburban Rail Loop’s youth panel, and he is helping. He is participating in community engagement to shape the future of his community for young people just like him. When he spoke to us, Caden told us how he was excited to contribute to a project that is going to support great public transport connections and excited to be studying his degree at a time when skills like his are in demand on some of the biggest projects that are underway in our state. He is also excited because, alongside building public transport, the future of this project is building homes for young people exactly like Caden – more homes for his generation, in the community he lives in, near the public transport he uses everyday.

There are some who build nothing. We know that when you build nothing you send the economy, you send the community and you send the future for young people like Caden backwards. We know that we have to build the transport connections, build the homes close to those transport connections and get on and do it now, not block them. There are some who want to back the trucks up and fill in the tunnel-boring machine holes that are being dug right now. Well, we are getting on and building the transport connections and building the homes in exactly the right places so young people like Caden, who is invested in his future and in his local community, know that they have got a government that is on their side.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Narre Warren North can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Narre Warren North withdrew from chamber.

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