Tuesday, 2 December 2025

 David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (02:18): (2181) My question is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. Victoria’s Infrastructure Strategy 2025–2055 stresses the importance of Altona North as a major activity centre and recommended that the government prioritise the construction of a train station at Altona North. According to Dr Jonathan Spear, CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, a new station would allow the growing number of nearby residents to reduce travel times and access three times more jobs within 45 minutes of their homes.

Altona North has not had a train station since the closure of Paisley station in the 1980s, and the section of line from Newport to Laverton via Altona North has the longest gap between any stations on the metropolitan train network. Dr Spear said more trains could run to service the new station, providing extra weekend and evening services to passengers travelling from Footscray to Newport and Laverton to Werribee. Investing in such transport infrastructure and rezoning the land around a new Altona North station would also open it up to more homes. This is a great plan. The strategy also recommended the creation of three rapid bus routes – West Tarneit to Highpoint, Point Cook to Watergardens and Melton to Broadmeadows – by 2030.

I have spoken before about the need for more public transport to ease the horrendous congestion in the outer west. The strategy also recommends more active transport, with priority corridors to make cycling safer for young and old and people using micromobility devices like electric scooters. The western suburbs of Melbourne are one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. It is past time for the Victorian government to recognise this and fund the much-needed infrastructure for the increasing population. The action I seek from the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Minister for Public and Active Transport is a commitment to build the Altona North train station by 2030.