2016-05-05
Mr BARBER (Northern Metropolitan) — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water. As the minister would be aware, Melbourne Water is doing a major refurbishment of the sewer that happens to run down the middle of the St Georges Road median strip. This project has bounced around, with various versions of the design having been put before the community. Now that VicRoads has stuck its oar in we can be sure that motor vehicles are going to be looked after, but this is in fact probably Melbourne's northern suburbs' premier off-road bicycle route, which has great value for pedestrians as well and which has connections — or, I should say lack of connections — to other routes further north.
My request of the minister is that she actually halt the process that is going on here and set up a proper community consultation to come up with a design that will enhance this transport route, this green spine, and set us up for the future. With that of course she should look at actually closing off some of the unsignalised crossings that cut through the St Georges Road median, because these are points of conflict between trams, vehicles and cyclists. I ought to know, because I was actually smashed off my bike back in the mid-1990s coming down St Georges Road when a driver tried to take a shortcut, a quickie, through one of these unsignalised crossovers.
This could in fact be a fantastic route for cyclists and pedestrians. The council estimates 600 000 cyclists a year now use the route. Along with the opportunity that is being created by Melbourne Water's refurbishment, we should get a design that retains trees, creates a pleasant route, removes conflict points between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, and in fact creates a safe and really vibrant boulevard for the northern suburbs.
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