Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to voice my outrage, along with that of my community and that of Whitehorse City Council, at the VCAT’s decision to agree to the Deakin bridge, which is going to put a blot on our beautiful landscape. Deakin University, which was originally created at Geelong, has now morphed the suburb of Burwood. What used to be Burwood Teachers College and Burwood Boys Home has now become a very large university. It is situated on two sides of major roads and in between is a beautiful creek, Gardiners Creek. It has been regenerated by community members and the council. We now have a magnificent reserve that is utilised day and night by people. I can testify to this because my two dogs absolutely love it. Now we are getting a bridge that is not a bridge—a six-metre wide road, two storeys above our beautiful reserve, to join the two campuses together. Whilst I understand the university’s need to have the two campuses joined, it knew the reality when it moved into the site. The suburban people were there first; the burbs and the houses were there before the university. Over 500 objections have been lodged to the bridge, which will involve the loss of about 60 mature trees which have been growing in this area for a long time. As I say, it is not a bridge; it is a major pedestrian thoroughfare at above-height level, which will just be a huge blot on our landscape.

The university is claiming there is a need, that it is about the interaction between the two campuses and about moving students across. The students can already go across if they care to walk down the road and actually cross at creek level. Currently, there is a perfectly serviceable bridge there. There is no impediment to people utilising the bridge. For a long time the university argued that it was about disability access. For years we have been asking the university, ‘Show us the people with a disability who are actually accessing the bridge.’ Originally, the dance studios were on one side of the creek and the other. I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I do not think too many people with disabilities were actually undertaking the dance course.

We now have this huge structure. VCAT has not listened to individuals. It has taken the view of the university into account above and beyond the views of the people who actually live in this area. I want to commend the various people who have been leading the protest, most notably: Elizabeth Meredith, from the West of Elgar Residents Association; and Terry Randle, from the Gardiners Creek Community Group. They have been there from day one. They will be shocked and disappointed.

I also want to offer congratulations and commiserations to Bob Stensholt, the state member for Burwood, who sat through days and days of VCAT hearings to ensure that we would not be getting this blot on our landscape. It is not a footbridge; it is a road above our heads and it should not be going ahead. (Time expired)