Thursday, 19 March 2026

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (19:01): (2440) My adjournment matter is something I bring up pretty much every week, Donnybrook Road in my electorate, and my adjournment is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. Last year the government ran a 20-day community feedback consultation about Donnybrook Road, while today marks 250 days since the feedback window closed, and yet it seems we are no closer to clearing the congestion and getting rid of the gridlock that is keeping my constituents trapped in their cars and away from their families. It will shock absolutely no-one who actually spends time on Donnybrook Road or speaks to local residents, as do I, that:

•   The top 2 improvements that respondents would like considered is more road lanes and upgrades to the Hume Freeway Interchange.

•   … There was strong support to add new lanes to the Donnybrook Road bridge over the Hume Freeway …

To quote one respondent:

Must duplicate the bridge over the Hume. It is the primary cause of congestion. The bridge over the Hume should span enough to allow for additional lanes on the Hume Freeway in the future.

Everyone wants that. That is what the community feedback has said. But that is not what the Prime Minister and Minister Williams announced at the end of the last federal election campaign. What they announced with the bumbling member for McEwen – and I believe the member for Yan Yean was there – was that they would duplicate the bridge over the Merri Creek and blow up a roundabout they only just installed in 2023 with a slip lane to put in traffic lights. That is all they will do for $125 million. From everyone in my electorate, from the 20-day consultation from this government that closed 250 days ago, the top feedback was that people want the bridge over the Hume duplicated. That is what my community want, Minister. It is pretty simple and symbolic of the contempt in which the government holds my constituents in the outer north to condemn them to traffic chaos. Maybe if the government did not prioritise the Suburban Rail Loop so much, Donnybrook Road would be top of the priority list. We know the government is prioritising at least $35 billion into SRL East. I saw reports today that some leadership contenders for Premier are considering pausing the SRL and putting it into airport rail. I reckon there will be enough there to put into airport rail and prioritise that and duplicate Donnybrook Road, because that is what is most urgent – to duplicate the bridge over the Hume at Donnybrook Road. It takes my residents 45 minutes to get out of their estate just onto Donnybrook Road. The action I seek is for the minister to duplicate the bridge over the Hume Freeway and duplicate Donnybrook Road.