Wednesday, 23 February 2022

Mickleham Road, Greenvale

Mr ONDARCHIE (Northern Metropolitan) (18:00): (1762) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Premier. Residents in Greenvale in my electorate of Northern Metropolitan Region have just had enough of trying to get their children to school by having to physically cross Mickleham Road. It is really busy and it is really dangerous on Mickleham Road, particularly between the Umbra estate and Elphinstone Boulevard. There is a new high school being built, and they have to cross essentially a very, very busy road—like trying to get across in that old game of Frogger. It is truly an accident waiting to happen.

I asked the Minister for Roads and Road Safety about this some time ago. This has been raised with me for over 12 months. I raised it with the roads minister, and the roads minister wrote back and said, ‘Oh, it’s not me, it’s the Victorian Planning Authority, or it’s the developer, or it’s somebody else’. It’s Mabo, it’s the vibe, or something—something other than him. And the Minister for Education will not respond either.

The Premier probably would not be aware that it is a really high growth area. The school is on the western side of Mickleham Road and the development is on the east side, so trying to get these kids across the road is just so dangerous. I have had parents reach out to me. They are frustrated. They have called; they cannot get answers. They have been to the minister’s office. They have been everywhere. They have been to the local member, Ros Spence, who will not even respond to them. They have been left absolutely high and dry. One lady has had to quit her job so she can drive to school in the afternoon to pick up her child, because it is just too dangerous for her child to cross the road.

There are roadworks happening up there. People are frustrated. For people to get to the Umbra estate is just so dangerous. The choices are for the kids to walk from Greenvale along a path that is not really well built. Mums cannot walk there with prams; people with disabilities cannot get along there; elderly Victorians cannot get along there either. It is really frustrating and it is dangerous.

I am just trying to work out what it will take to get somebody to do something about this. Now, there was a pedestrian hit by a car last year. They were not severely injured; nonetheless, they were hit. I went out there last Thursday myself to have a look. It is just so dangerous. What will it take? What will it take for somebody to take responsibility for this? For God’s sake, please do not let it be an accident and a death—please do not.

At the very least could we install some of those temporary pedestrian lights like they do when they are upgrading roads? We see that all the time. Can they do something to keep our children, our parents and our elderly safe out there? The question I have for the Premier is: will he do something to instruct the Minister for Roads and Road Safety or instruct the Minister for Education—instruct somebody—to put some safety mechanisms across Mickleham Road so our children will be safe? They have had a gutful. I have had a gutful. Will the local member do something?