Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:54): My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and I ask on behalf of Sri Lankan–born parents Antony and Agal: will the minister work with VicRoads and the City of Casey to install safety barriers between Pound Road and the adjacent footpath and relocate the footpath further away from the road? On Sunday, with my friends Lyndon and Annette Samuel, I attended a large viewing for 16-year-old Chris, who was tragically struck by a vehicle that veered off Pound Road. Chris passed away. This is a major, high-traffic arterial road where there have been several incidents of cars losing control, one also striking a home’s fence. With tears in his eyes, Chris’s father Antony pleaded with me to plead with you to urgently act. A petition on change.org has had nearly 5500 signatures in just a week, and I am currently in the process of sponsoring a parliamentary petition on behalf of the family.