2016-04-12
MS DUNN: To ask the Minister for Agriculture (for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety): In relation to the 2014 election promise made by the Labor candidate for the seat of Forest Hill, Ms Pauline Richards, that Labor would support the protection of the Healesville Freeway Reserve between Springvale Road and Boronia Road and it's reservation as Crown land:
(1) when will you deliver on the election promise and roll out the Biolink/shared path;
(2) when will the entire corridor, including parcels of land that are currently leased, be transferred to the Crown; and
(3) what actions are being undertaken to maintain the parcel of land to the rear of the disused police station in Vermont South, which is currently unkempt and overgrown.
ANSWER:
I am informed that, as at the date the question was raised:
The Andrews Labor Government has honoured its commitment to preserve the Healesville Freeway Reserve as public open space.
The process to transfer the land from VicRoads to the Crown is well underway.
Once this transfer is complete, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will lead the process to establish management arrangements for the land so that it can be managed as public open space reserve.
The Victorian Government will make sure that the community is involved in the future management of the reserve, including the establishment of community facilities within the reserve.
With regard to the disused police station in Vermont South, only the new Police Complex in Springvale Road abuts the Healesville Freeway Reserve, and is managed by VicRoads.
VicRoads advises me that there is a scheduled grass maintenance program for all of the land within the Healesville Freeway Reservation, which includes slashing of grass and spraying and clearing of weeds and blackberries.
The last scheduled slashing of the land was in November 2015, and there will shortly be a further cut in late February to early March 2016.
Question # 4889