Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A huge issue in my electorate and in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne—I see the member for Bruce is in the chamber and I am sure he would agree—is that the Monash Freeway is in dire need of a major upgrade. We have been running a campaign to upgrade the Monash Freeway. It is a huge issue in the electorate of La Trobe, and the state government has come out and announced a $400 million commitment to that project. At this stage, I cannot see whether it is one cent of state government funding. I assume they are planning to use Transurban to toll it as part of the Western Distributor project. The Western Distributor proposal is $5.5 billion, and the state Labor government only allocates a commitment of seven per cent of this project's funding towards the Monash upgrade. To me, it is totally unfair that residents out in La Trobe would need to be paying their tolls to help upgrade or create the Western Distributor project. The Andrews government continues to focus on the west and short-change the east, and is happy to waste $1 billion of taxpayers' funding by not building the critical east-west infrastructure. To top this off, Daniel Andrews is asking the Commonwealth government to increase taxes to pay for more infrastructure when it comes to the upgrades of the Monash and other projects. I am absolutely committed to a major upgrade of the Monash Freeway. I am looking at two lanes in either direction—one lane will not do. I am very committed to this and very focused on it.

Some other road projects in Latrobe I am looking at include the diamond exchange. This is a project in Beaconsfield, where the Monash did not have on and off ramps to allow people to travel towards the Pakenham bypass at the Princess Highway interchange in Beaconsfield. That is the location. It is otherwise known as the Beaconsfield diamond interchange. This means if residents want to drive up to Gippsland they have to go along other roads to access the Monash Freeway. It causes major traffic congestion.

The other local road issue is the O'Sheas Road interchange. O'Sheas Road stops at Soldiers Road. We need this to continue on into Beaconsfield, where there is a big development proposed. The great concern I have is that when this development of residential land is opened these new residents will be adding to the traffic congestion on Clyde Road and surrounding roads. The roads out there are a nightmare, and everyone can tell horror stories about them.

The Casey council put a fantastic proposal to me—and I know it is supported by Cardinia council—of an information technology business park. This is why I am fighting so hard to upgrade the O'Sheas Road as part of a bigger package for the Monash, including the diamond exchange. We want to stop local residents needing to travel to the CBD and out of the electorate each day to work. If we can keep local residents working in high-level jobs in the IT industry, in our local area, this has to be great for locals. They would not need to travel and they could spend more time with the family. It would also take great pressure off the Monash each day because residents would be working in the local area. With La Trobe there is huge growth, in suburbs like Cranbourne North, Cranbourne East and Clyde North Precinct, in structural plans. That is why this local road projects are so good.

Another issue is Puffing Billy. John Robinson, the CEO, is determined to have the discovery centre in Lakeside up in Emerald. When tourists get off at Lakeside, unfortunately, there is nothing for them to do when it is raining. They have a beautiful lake path to walk around but in the rain it is not that comfortable. So I am very supportive of this project. I am also supportive of restoring or upgrading the old red rattlers that used to travel in Melbourne and getting those recommissioned to bring international tourists out from the CBD. Get them on Puffing Billy. Help the local tourist areas. Get these tourists to stay in the hills.