Western Victoria Region
Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:55): (52) My question is to the Minister for Public Transport. On 30 May 2020 a V/Line passenger train smashed through the Lydiard Street heritage rail gates at the Ballarat railway station. It took 534 days for the government to reopen one of Ballarat’s busiest roads. On 7 October 2021 Heritage Victoria provided the permit to allow temporary boom gates and updated signalling to be installed at a cost of $10.5 million. The permit also required a report to be submitted within 15 months for an options paper assessing permanent options for the level crossing and the future of the salvaged heritage elements. It was required to demonstrate community consultation. The report should have been lodged in January this year. My question is: has that report been lodged; if so, what community was consulted; and given that consultation will report, has it been made public?