Tuesday, 10 September 2019

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (13:07): My question is to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and it concerns the matter that has been discussed heavily today: the evidence of Andrew O’Brien, a leading expert on freeway design on behalf of the cities of Boroondara, Whitehorse and Banyule, who has stated in the environment effects process on the North East Link Project that:

Chronic queuing at Hoddle Street would also worsen …

…

One of the underlying assumptions not stated in the Environmental Effects Statement documentation is that the Hoddle Street queues are mitigated by another major infrastructure project—[in other words] the East West Link …

Of course Blind Freddy could see that if you send tens of thousands of cars screaming down the freeway, they come to a screeching halt at Hoddle Street. That is a big problem for congestion. So I ask the minister to review the project and to put the east–west link back on the table and in doing so be prepared to negotiate to take the $4 billion of federal money to build the east–west link.

The PRESIDENT: And that affects your constituents how?

Mr DAVIS: It runs through the middle of Southern Metropolitan Region, and the North East Link Project evidence has been put in by three of my councils—a submission on Boroondara, Whitehorse—

The PRESIDENT: That is enough; you have won me over.