Thursday, 20 November 2025

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (17:26): (1446) My adjournment is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action I seek is that the minister update me on the works being done to prepare and get ready for the opening of the West Gate Tunnel, which is going to happen – I am taking a guess here – I think in 10 days. Not 10 days, sorry, that is the Metro Tunnel. The West Gate Tunnel is happening. It is happening in early December, next month, and I am really keen to hear about what we are doing to prepare for that opening. There are still a couple of things to be done, but it is well and truly on the way.

It was absolutely amazing on the weekend to see, I think it was, about 50,000 people – I would like to say 50,000 westies but there might have been some interlopers in there as well – down at the Yarraville Gardens for the West Gate Tunnel discovery day and so many of these people and families getting the chance to see their tunnel for the first time. I have to say, I know they truly appreciated the hard work, the years, the sweat and the tears that have gone into this absolutely incredible game changer of a project. It has been such a long road to get this tunnel up and running – as a westie, it has been a long road – but it is here. We have had challenges, yes, along the way. But as I tell folks each and every single day, this is a project, this is a tunnel, this is a second crossing that has been built for folks in the western suburbs. It is our West Gate Tunnel.

It is going to take trucks off our inner western roads, and that is going to shave up to 20 minutes off our morning commutes. It is also going to make it a whole lot easier to get around parts of our city, such as the new Wurundjeri Way extension. I can already see the traffic reduction because that is now open, which means folks can bypass the CBD to travel to the south-east, would you believe it. That is right: no more crawling through Spencer Street or King Street to get from one side of the city to the other. I was there just a few weeks ago, and I can tell you it looks absolutely incredible. For truckies and businesses, the tunnel is the other alternative route across the Yarra and a quicker connection to CityLink and Docklands or to get around the city.

There are so many benefits for our community, and very soon now we will finally have the chance to use it. I cannot wait, and that is why I welcome a brief update from the minister on the works that are being done to finally prepare this brand new piece of infrastructure to be open to the public once and for all in December.