Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (18:38): (2053) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and it concerns yet another broken promise to the people of Essendon: the long-delayed intersection upgrades along Mount Alexander Road. The action I seek is an update to this project, because back in 2023 the bumbling member for Essendon Danny Pearson together with Moonee Valley City Council proudly announced $6.5 million to upgrade the dangerous Essendon North intersections along Mount Alexander Road. At the time, locals were told this funding would finally address what has been long known as one of Melbourne’s worst and most hazardous intersections. Then earlier in May this year Mr Pearson reannounced the same project on social media, stating that the Allan Labor government is investing $6.55 million to upgrade the roundabout at Mount Alexander Road. But when one of my constituents contacted Moonee Valley City Council this week to ask when construction might begin, the answer could not have been clearer. The council confirmed:

[QUOTE AWAITING VERIFICATION]

To our knowledge, no construction funding has been committed to date.

After two years and multiple Labor spin announcements there are still no timeline, no works underway and no funding actually committed to complete or even start construction on these notorious intersections.

Meanwhile VicRoads data recently identified this location as one of the most dangerous intersections in metropolitan Melbourne, with a troubling number of crashes and near misses continuing to occur. Essendon residents are rightly asking why, after two years of promises and photo opportunities, nothing has been delivered. They deserve genuine safety improvements, not recycled media releases, social media photos and planning phases.

The action I seek of the minister is to provide a clear update to the community on the status of this project. They specifically want to know when construction funding will be committed, when works will commence and when residents can expect to see real safety outcomes on the ground. The government wants to, through its activity centre changes, push a huge amount of people into the area, particularly Essendon North, which the minister actually campaigned against his own government for changes to – but not anywhere else in the state. With that you actually need commensurate infrastructure investment. The government has had two years to deliver on its promise. It is time to stop the spin and start the work before another serious crash occurs at one of Melbourne’s most dangerous intersections.