Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday, I held a very successful mobile office at the Sydney Road Brunswick Music Festival where I met with many residents to talk about a wide variety of national and local issues. However, lingering close to the thoughts of many at the festival was the tragic death of the young 25-year-old Italian national Alberto Paulon last Friday. Alberto was cycling with his partner and was apparently doored then hit by a truck on Sydney Road in the vicinity of Barkly Square. This is devastating for the young man's partner, their families and our local community. Everyone should feel safe as they commute to and from their home, shops or work. Unfortunately for this young man, a tragic set of circumstances has meant this commute cost him his life.

Sydney Road is one of Melbourne's worst stretches of road for bike crashes. Almost half of reported casualty crashes on the road in the last five years involved a cyclist. There were 179 incidents in that time and 85 involved a bike rider; 25 of whom were taken to hospital. Around 360 cyclists per day use Sydney Road in the two-hour morning peak. According to census data, and as reported by the Bicycle Network, the highest level of participation in travel to work by bicycle in 2011 was recorded in Yarra and Moreland. Moreland experienced a great percentage increase in people bicycling to work; an 80 per cent increase between the 2006 census and the December 2011 census. In Moreland, more than one person now rides for every 10 people who commute to work by car. Cycling is increasingly being recognised as viable mode of transport. Sydney Road is becoming increasingly congested as a result of rapid population growth and the proliferation of high-density developments.

As a result of this tragedy, the state member for Brunswick, the honourable Jane Garrett, yesterday held an emergency meeting of VicRoads, police, cycling groups, Moreland City Council and Yarra Trams to discuss how Sydney Road can be made safer. I welcome the recently announced $1.6 million investment by the Victorian government to reduce accidents involving cyclists along Sydney Road. This includes banning right-hand turns along parts of Sydney Road between Barkly Square and Albion Street, upgrades to the lighting and signs and improving bike facilities along Sydney Road. I have written to the relevant authorities in relation to this matter to offer my assistance and support for any measures that will prevent such an incident occurring again. I am willing and able to work with all stakeholders, including the Moreland Bicycle User Group, who do great work in advocating for greater investment in local cycling.

In the meantime, our thoughts are with the family of this young man who are going through this difficult period of loss. Tomorrow, cyclists will be riding up Sydney Road from Brunswick Road to Moreland Road from 5:30 pm as a mark of respect for the life of this young man. It is my intention to join them.