Thursday, 7 March 2024

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (17:43): (770) My adjournment is directed towards the Treasurer, and it concerns today’s reports that transport infrastructure in the north is at risk because of the ballooning state debt. According to reports in the Age today, the commitment to remove eight level crossings on the Upfield line by 2027 is under a cloud, with the state yet to release designs and begin consultation scheduled for last year, which is funny because I remember seeing big billboards around Brunswick saying that the Upfield line was going to be level crossing free – ‘Vote for Mike Williams, the Labor candidate, because we are going to have a level crossing free Upfield line’ – which did not happen.

Several groups in my electorate say they have yet to be consulted. Merri-bek Bicycle User Group convenor Faith Hunter said initially consultation was planned for a year ago – that was definitely the expectation. Upfield Urban Forest convenor Jo Connellan said all community groups she was aware of had not been consulted, which was quite different to the contributions of a Labor member for Northern Metropolitan Ms Watt, who said that:

These level crossing removals … create four MCGs worth of open space and a dedicated bike path to the city.

This will be a huge change for the area, and I will ensure … the community is properly consulted so that this project can meet the demands and needs of as many people as possible.

Several sources were reported in the Age as saying they can do the North East Link even with the blowout to $26.1 billion and they can do the Suburban Rail Loop but other projects in the planning phase might be under a cloud – such as the Upfield line level crossing removal project and the outer metropolitan ring-road, which is definitely needed for my constituents in the north and the north-east, connecting Thomastown up to Craigieburn and Wallan and to the western suburbs as well – a vital infrastructure project. These and many other infrastructure projects are under a cloud.

This is one case of a direct broken promise. Yes, I accept that the Liberal Party is not always the most supported party in the seat of Brunswick, but integrity is important in politics. At the last two elections I fronted up to the public transport forums in Brunswick, when I was a candidate in 2018 and when I was a candidate in 2022. It is not a flash place to be a Liberal sometimes, but I show up because that is the right thing to do as a person putting themselves forward for office. I have always been very clear that I am a big supporter of public transport, as I have proven in this house with my advocacy on bus frequency and public transport to parts of our growth areas that miss out. This is a clear broken promise. The action I seek from the Treasurer is to explain the government’s plans or admit that this is a direct broken promise.