Thursday, 24 February 2022

Ballarat and Warrnambool rail lines disability access

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:45): (1780) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport and concerns disability access for commuters on the Ballarat and Warrnambool rail lines. Despite spending $28 million to upgrade the Ballarat railway station, it fails the most vulnerable members of the community who depend on public transport. Grampians DisAbility Advocacy has written to members of Parliament, including those opposite, to press the extraordinary situation that ‘the Ballarat railway station is the only site on the Melbourne–Ballarat line that is not accessible to all people with a disability’. This is an appalling outcome. It is incomprehensible that $28 million of taxpayers money can be spent and yet not one cent can be found to improve the access for people with mobility devices. It is staggering. I thank the Grampians advocacy’s executive officer Deborah Verdon for her continued advocacy for our most vulnerable people. Ms Verdon says users of mobility devices take their lives in their hands when crossing between platforms because they are unable to use the heritage staircase.

This is not the first time I have spoken in this place about the need to improve transport services and accessibility for people with mobility and disability issues. Similar concerns are also being raised on the Warrnambool rail line, specifically in regard to wheelchair access on the trains. Such blatant failure of those in need reminds us what this government really cares about: itself and life inside the tram tracks. It cares about segregation based on medical procedures, putting masks on schoolchildren and stacking the bureaucracy with ALP comrades. This is a government that talks about inclusivity but fails at the most basic levels. This is a government that demands more of others than it does of itself. It stipulates and legislates for private industry and businesses to spend millions of dollars adhering to accessibility codes and standards. As such, it would seem that we have one set of standards for the Andrews government and another for everyone else. So the action I seek from the minister is for this shameful disability access issue at Ballarat railway station and for the wheelchair access on Warrnambool trains to be remedied to ensure that the Victorian public transport system caters for every Victorian and not just those inside the tram tracks.