Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Greenvale pedestrian safety

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (18:46): (1131) This could be for the Minister for Equality; I think I might direct it towards the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. I know, since I have been for almost two years now getting around the northern suburbs, that we have never seen so many ministerial visits to places like Greenvale, Kalkallo and Broadmeadows. I actually seek the action of the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. It is an invitation to come with me to inspect the abysmal conditions of pedestrian infrastructure on Somerton Road in Roxburgh Park, particularly the connection between Pascoe Vale Road and Aitken Boulevard, and to provide proper footpaths on Somerton Road for many residents, particularly those living in Roxburgh Park and Meadow Heights.

Access to public transport is a daily necessity. Somerton Road hosts two key bus stops to serve these two suburbs, and yet the glaring problem is that there is no proper pedestrian access to these bus stops on a busy main road. Residents on both sides of the road are forced to navigate uneven nature strips to reach these bus stops. The lack of proper pathways forces commuters to risk tripping and falling and potential serious injuries. The absence of a pedestrian crossing means that anyone needing to cross Somerton Road is left to brave fast-moving traffic on a busy arterial road. Many elderly residents, particularly in Meadow Heights, have come into my office to speak to me about this situation – about the fact that they cannot actually reach the bus stop with a walker.

What makes this even more frustrating is that this is yet another example of Labor neglecting the northern suburbs while funding goes to other seats, like the $216 billion Suburban Rail Loop in the eastern suburbs. We see money being diverted away from crucial infrastructure projects that Melbourne’s north clearly needs. Labor is consistently neglecting the growth areas of Melbourne, so people in the electorate of Greenvale cannot even get to an existing bus stop. There are no shelters, by the way, at these bus stops. They have to go over uneven nature strips to get to the bus stop to take the bus. Many residents in Meadow Heights and Roxburgh Park are elderly. Many do not have a car or do not have a licence and so therefore rely solely on public transport to be able to access services and live their day-to-day lives. I seek the action of the minister to provide basic pedestrian infrastructure that we have all come to expect and to put an end to the neglect of the electorate of Greenvale, particularly for residents of Meadow Heights and Roxburgh Park.