Thursday, 24 September 2026

 Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) presented a petition bearing 630 signatures:

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that under the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority’s (VIDA) published design, Anderson Street would close permanently to traffic and the closed section would become a paved plaza. The pedestrian ramp would sit about 170 metres north of the crossing, requiring compulsory acquisition and demolition of a house including the stairs and lifts and beyond the signal box. It would demolish shops in the state-listed Yarraville Railway Station complex.

Yarraville Village has about 121 shopfronts on both sides of the railway, and Anderson Street is the only road connecting the two halves, carrying about 2,500 vehicles and more than 6,000 pedestrians a day.

On 19 June 2026 VIDA confirmed, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, that no studies or economic impact reports regarding traders had informed the design.

The alternatives, and why they were rejected, have not been released.

The project was never declared in its own right, but added to the Hudsons Road, Spotswood project under section 15AB of the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act 2009.

On 21 July 2026, Maribyrnong City Council unanimously resolved to ask VIDA Rail to pause works, subject to eight conditions. All concept designs, assessments and technical analysis should be released including an explanation of the basis for removing the at-grade pedestrian crossing. Updated design options should include stair and underpass access at Anderson Street. If an economic impact assessment has been undertaken for Yarraville Village this should be released. An explanation on why the project was not declared standalone under the Act is required. The community and local council need to be consulted before any notice of intention to acquire is served, any contract awarded, or any property compulsorily acquired or demolished, while the design can still be changed.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to pause the Andersen Street, Yarraville level crossing removal works until all assessments, and the rationale behind the design are released and community consultation has occurred.