Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to tell the House of my outrage and my community's outrage at the cutting of the funding for Wellington Road from the Labor budget tonight. The announcement we made in 2019 to commit $110 million was actually matched by the Labor Party in an article dated 3 May 2019, which was entitled 'Bipartisan funding for roads' and included a picture of the then opposition leader, Bill Shorten. The Labor candidate for the seat said, 'Labor will commit to upgrading Wellington Road.'

Why is this road so important? Well, No. 1, at the moment it is a huge congestion issue and it is such a dangerous road for people to take. But, more importantly, in the case of a bushfire it is the major escape route for people living in Cockatoo, Gembrook, Emerald and also the Dandenong Ranges. If you go back in time to 1983, during the Ash Wednesday bushfires, locally 21 lives were lost. It is just so vital that this road get upgraded, and I am so disappointed and outraged that the funding is being cut. Previously, back in 2007, we committed $10 million for overtaking lanes. In 2010, sadly, we lost the election. My last letter before I lost my seat was to the then transport minister, Anthony Albanese, and it said, 'Please don't divert this funding.' Labor have again disgraced themselves when it comes to supporting the residents of the hills.

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