Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During the recent election, I announced with Minister Paul Fletcher the $4 million Dunkley rail plan. As part of this plan, $2 million has been allocated to cost and plan the electrification and duplication of the Frankston-to-Baxter rail line, which will extend Metropolitan Rail services to residents across Dunkley. This plan will incorporate Frankston station, Leawarra station, a new station for Langwarrin and Frankston South, which will be at or near the old Langwarrin station site, Baxter and an entirely new station at Frankston Hospital. The Leawarra station will service students of the Monash University Peninsula campus and is anticipated to increase enrolments by more than 20 per cent. This feeds into the continual growth of Frankston as a health hub, with $6 million in funding towards a fully funded MRI licence, which I announced during my recent election campaign, which will benefit not only the 2,000 local patients but also those residing within the whole southern peninsula.

At a recent meeting with the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Sussan Ley, it was confirmed that full access to this service under Medicare will be active as early as next year.

A dedicated Frankston Hospital station will also be investigated and planned. Having a dedicated Frankston Hospital train station will allow greater ease of transportation for patients to access their vital health services and will contribute to resolving the significant parking issues and costs currently experienced at both the Frankston train station and the Frankston Hospital, which I regret to say the state government has neglected.

A further $2 million has also been allocated to plan a third rail track for an express train service between Frankston and Melbourne—a vital asset that the state Labor government neglected to include as part of its Skyrail proposal, with their proposal looking at only two tracks instead of three. The lack of planning in this regard will cost a lo t more in the long term. I am calling on the state Labor government to consider a third track as part of their proposals for level crossing removals.

While the Skyrail proposal has some sites with rail trench options, three sites in Carrum and Frankston are earmarked for unsightly rail bridges. While all involved agree that level crossings are dangerous and need to go, local councils, residents and businesses are against the proposed plan and are extremely concerned about the negative environmental, social, financial and business impacts this model will have. It is as opposed to the much more aesthetically appealing 'cut and cover' model which, while being slightly more expensive , is much more viable in the long term not only from an engineering perspective but also from the perspective of local home owners. Their privacy will not be impacted; their house prices will potentially increase; and the land above the rail line is opened up. For example, Frankston resident Julie Freeborne said she would be left viewing a monstrosity and a 'concrete blob' out of her window. Local businessman Max Whitehead also commented that 'authorities should give more consideration to rail-under-road option at the intersection'.

These projects I have mentioned in Dunkley will provide crucial connectivity—which is great for jobs, business, tourism, as well as community engagement and preventing social isolation—and it will help create a polycentric city. As a member of the Infrastructure and Regional Development Committee, I am committed to support ing the connectivity of freight and passenger travel, particularly within Dunkley. I am very pleased that the coalition government had the foresight to contribute $4 million towards the Dunkley rail plan as part of my campaign.

As part of th at committee I am a big supporter of creating a state of cities, connecting our regional centres for both freight and passenger rail. That is why I have previously been involved heavily in projects like the Murry Basin Rail Project, which not only provides crucial freight upgrades but also paves the way for passenger rail. I do believe passenger rail should be considered not only for Dunkley, but for regional centres and outer suburban areas in Melbourne and across Victoria and, indeed, Australia.