Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Sassafras

Daniela DE MARTINO (Monbulk) (19:02): (1122) Last July a significant landslide occurred in Sassafras, on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road near Mason Grove, which resulted in one of the two lanes being closed for a section of the road. I understand that the first priorities were to stabilise the landslip, cap and divert an existing gas main service and clear as much debris from the roadside as needed to ensure that one lane of the road was safe to open. The Department of Transport and Planning have explained that once those initial works were undertaken, experts completed a range of investigations, including geotechnical, hydrological, underground services, pavement and visual inspections, to inform the detailed design. DTP has also explained to my community that the damage caused to this section of the road means that major retaining wall works up to 70 metres long are required to properly repair the landslide and that the site is further complicated by multiple underground utilities, steep drop-offs, its close proximity to the Sassafras Creek, which sits within a national park, and the narrow road width.

With all this taken into consideration, my constituents are concerned about the time being taken for these repairs. There is significant frustration with the length of time taken thus far. The queues as cars wait for one direction to clear before they can move through can be long and time consuming for residents and the many tourists that visit the hills. Most of us are pretty patient, and I do thank all the constituents for their patience, but there is deep frustration when it appears from the outside that the progress is not moving as quickly as it could. Could the Minister for Roads and Road Safety please provide me with an update on the works, with an assurance on the timeframe for completion of the repairs?