Thursday, 14 August 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:54): (1858) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action I seek is for the minister to confirm what, if any, funding the Victorian government has provided for planning work to extend the Upfield and Craigieburn metro lines to Wallan and to confirm whether or not that planning work has begun. Over the last decade the state Labor government has approved the development of tens of thousands of homes in the northern growth suburbs but has completely failed to make the necessary investment in public transport infrastructure for residents living in those areas. My constituents in those rapidly expanding suburbs are already suffering every day from totally inadequate public transport, yet last week the Minister for Planning approved a new mega suburb for 50,000 people in Beveridge North West. Residents in the north are stuck in chronic traffic congestion every day. Bus links to local schools, shops and other services are almost totally absent, and commuters cannot get a seat on the overcrowded V/Line services that pass through Donnybrook.

Emails recently released through a freedom-of-information request show that the Secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning, Paul Younis, had prepared and submitted a report called the North West Strategic Assessment in June last year. Mr Younis said:

The report’s key finding is that due to significant population growth in the north and west of Melbourne … there is an urgent need to begin detailed development of rail capacity-boosting projects in the north and west.

Boosting rail capacity for residents in Donnybrook, Beveridge and Wallan means that the Upfield and Craigieburn lines must join and be extended and electrified all the way to Wallan to allow Metro services to run through to the northern growth suburbs with bigger capacity and greater frequency. This will also require new train stations, especially at Beveridge, which is a top priority for the Mitchell Shire Council. Last year when I called for the government to urgently start work on the new station at Beveridge, the minister dodged my question and suggested that Beveridge residents could catch the train at Wallan or Donnybrook – what a joke. Those stations are already overcrowded and will not be able to handle the extra patronage when new housing developments open.

In February this year the Commonwealth committed $7 million towards planning for Melbourne’s northern suburbs rail upgrades. Victoria will need to add its own funding and carry out the planning work, but the Allan Labor government is not showing any urgency to do its part. My constituents in the Yan Yean district cannot wait for another decade while Labor drags its feet over urgent upgrades. The minister must confirm what, if any, funding the state government has provided for the planning work to extend and electrify rail services through to Wallan and confirm whether that planning work has actually started or whether Labor is still ignoring the needs of the rapidly expanding northern suburbs.