MR PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (09:46):

I rise to update the house on the progress of the level crossing removal projects in Werribee and Wyndham. The level crossings at Werribee Street and Cherry Street were removed earlier this year, and the Old Geelong Road level crossing is on track to be removed in 2022. I should for clarity make it clear that this is a level crossing removal that I share with the member for Tarneit.

During June the project team has been hard at work installing bridge beams over the Princes Highway and has continued work on the pedestrian and cyclist overpass at Old Geelong Road. These works naturally meant a disruption to train services, and I want to thank the community for their ongoing patience during this difficult time. Landscaping works continue at the Cherry Street site, where a new, well-lit underpass recently opened to pedestrians and cyclists, safely connecting them to either side of the rail line.

Thanks to the government’s $150 million Car Parks for Commuters program, local commuters are now enjoying an additional 130-space car park with improved safety features, such as better lighting and CCTV. Down the line at Werribee Street the former level crossing road intersection has been resurfaced, and the project team is getting on with the job of building a skate park under the new rail bridge as well as planting thousands of trees and shrubs. With the removal of these three dangerous and congested level crossings, the Andrews Labor government is ensuring safer travel with less congestion on the local road network across Werribee and Hoppers Crossing.