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

I am calling on the state Labor government to get on and build the Beaconsfield Interchange and the extension of O'Shea Road. The federal government under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, back in April 2016, committed to a $1 billion plan for upgrading the Monash Freeway. Parts of that plan were the completion of the Beaconsfield Interchange and the extension of O'Shea Road.

Why are these projects so important? First of all, the Beaconsfield Interchange, once built, will be an access point to an advanced manufacturing hub, and potentially create defence jobs when we also have the extension of O'Shea Road. The Beaconsfield Interchange has been without two on-off ramps for close to 12 years.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 10:10 to 10:34

As I was saying before, I'm now calling on the state Labor government to get on and build the Beaconsfield Interchange and the extension of O'Shea Road. The Turnbull government has committed $500 million for stage 2 of the Monash. This commitment was made back in April 2016 by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The money is there on the table. We need them to immediately start work and get on with the job. Five hundred million dollars is sitting there—federal funding—which has been committed, yet it's not been spent. It's a disgrace. Why don't they get on with the job? Tomorrow, they could actually go out there—this is VicRoads—and issue a notice of acquisition, working with the Casey council, which is a local planning authority, and O'Shea Road could be finished by the end of the year. There is no excuse. This project is so important for the south-east of Melbourne and the residents of Beaconsfield, Berwick, Officer and surrounding areas because it's going to ease traffic, especially on Clyde Road. State Labor needs to get on and build the O'Shea Road and the Beaconsfield Interchange now. The federal funding is there. There is no excuse not to start work asap. In fact, they've had pretty much 18 months where they have done nothing.

In conclusion, as they are finishing stage 1, they should immediately go on to stage 2 and extend the extra lane from Clyde Road right out to Cardinia and also from South Gippsland Highway right out to Warragul. Why? Because again, the federal funding is there—$500 million is there. Get on and do the job.