Thursday, 16 October 2025

 Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (17:31): (2012) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Transport Infrastructure in relation to the transport amenity program, the TAP. The TAP was announced in 2018 as a joint initiative between the Victorian government and the City of Melbourne to rejuvenate local roads and public space in West Melbourne and mitigate the impact of the West Gate Tunnel Project. However, residents now say that the funds are not being used to improve livability but to increase the traffic flow from the tunnels into their neighbourhoods. So the action I seek is for the minister to provide a full and transparent breakdown of expenditure under the $100 million transport amenity program and to ensure that its future allocation genuinely reflects the needs and priorities of West Melbourne residents.

Since early September a blitz of road changes has been rolled out, including new lane markings, traffic signals, road closures and double-lane turns. These changes prioritise vehicle movements over pedestrians and community safety. What is worse is that these changes were announced without consultation from residents, leaving them shocked and frustrated. It seems to be that a lack of consultation is the theme now with the Allan Labor government when it comes to any type of major or state infrastructure project. Transport planner and resident Beck Roy has described the changes as a focus on traffic movement rather than amenity and public safety. Pedestrian crossings have been removed, residential streets have been altered to accommodate high-volume traffic and safety risks have increased, particularly around North Melbourne station.

What is more concerning is that millions from the TAP fund have been spent kilometres away from West Melbourne, including on tram stops in the CBD and bike lanes in La Trobe, Peel and Abbotsford streets. Over $46 million has already been allocated, yet residents have had very little visibility into how these decisions were made. The City of Melbourne was originally very concerned and opposed to the West Gate Tunnel due to the forecast increase of 9000 vehicles per day in West Melbourne. Now with the tunnel nearly completed, the community is left with unsatisfactory consultations, reduced safety and rapidly depleting funds. So I call for the minister to release a detailed account of the TAP expenditure, including traffic modelling and project commitments, and to engage meaningfully with the West Melbourne community to ensure future work generally enhances livability and not just traffic flow.