Northern Metropolitan Region
Mr ONDARCHIE (Northern Metropolitan) (12:15): (1730) My constituency question today is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Greenvale residents were thrilled and thankful that the Liberals in the federal budget have come through for them. After a long campaign by local constituent and local resident Cr Jim Overend, the Morrison Liberal government have announced they will fund the Mickleham Road duplication for $109.5 million. Every morning and night Greenvale residents experience choked roads and frustration that traffic is just banked up, and they have had a gutful. It is time the state government stopped insulting locals and equalled the federal Liberal government commitment by commencing the duplication of Somerton Road and supporting the development of Mickleham Road. The money allocated in the 2021–22 state budget to upgrade these roads by the Victorian government did not even come close to fixing those roads, and it is just pure tokenism. Labor continues to ignore the north. My question to the minister is: will the government respect Greenvale residents and fund the duplication of Somerton Road and the support for Mickleham Road in the upcoming state budget?