Ballarat level crossing removals
Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (17:46): (73) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, and it relates to the level crossing removal program. The action that I seek is for the minister to roll out level crossing removals in Ballarat instead of solely focusing on metropolitan Melbourne. My constituents travelling in Ballarat face delays at level crossings when they are waiting for a train to pass. This not only is a major inconvenience but also has an impact on the productivity of local businesses. Busy crossings that could be upgraded include Gillies Street, Forest Street, Burnbank Street, Creswick Road and MacArthur Street. If you are around these level crossings at school times or during the after-work rush, it can be absolute bedlam, particularly given that many of these local crossings are near built-up areas where there are plenty of houses. What gets me is that of all the level crossings that have been completed so far, which the government likes to promote, none have actually been completed in Western Victoria. Those that are planned – and there are three of them in the Melton area – are scheduled to be completed by 2028, which is beyond this term of Parliament anyway. So why are regional people ignored? Why are we not as important as those in the metropolitan Melbourne area? Does the government care? I am not sure. I do look forward to the minister’s response, sooner rather than later. Hopefully we can get level crossings removed in Ballarat in particular, because we are just as important as metropolitan Melbourne.