Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 Steve McGHIE (Melton) (10:13): In lieu of any valedictory statement, I want to use these final weeks of Parliament to highlight some of the achievements we have delivered for Melton. The new Melton hospital is well and truly taking shape. Our three level crossings have either been removed or are about to be, and we will soon open the brand new Melton station, meaning no more dodgy underpass just to catch your train. From there you will be able to jump on a bus to Eynesbury, a service that simply did not exist beforehand, and from Cobblebank station, which I was proud to help open in 2019, you can now connect to the new Thornhill Park bus service. Existing bus routes have also seen timetable improvements. Those buses are connecting a growing community, including the five new state primary schools and one new secondary school we have delivered.

Every existing government school in Melton, bar one, has also received upgrades and investment, not to mention investments in Catholic and independent schools. Education does not stop at school. We have brought TAFE back to Melton. Courses are already underway in temporary facilities, with the construction of the new Kangan TAFE campus at Cobblebank to come. We have delivered new ambulance stations, major intersection upgrades on High Street and Norton Drive and Coburns Road, improvements to the Melton Highway and preconstruction works beginning on the upgrade to the Western Freeway. Add to that investment in sporting and recreation facilities, helping local clubs and seeing more people participate in sport, and a new regional park for our growing community – there simply is not enough time to mention everything. It is great to see the progress in Melton, and we will continue to do so into the future.