I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Public Transport, and the action that I seek is for the minister to provide me with the details of the state government’s current and/or future plans for the infrastructure footprint of Sandringham railway station. The minister will be aware that during the 2019 federal election campaign the federal member for Goldstein, Tim Wilson, made an election commitment of $3.1 million for the development of approximately 100 new car parks at Sandringham station. Tim and the Morrison government are ready to deliver upon this commitment. The only thing standing in their way is the inaction of the state government.
Sandringham railway station has for many years now lacked adequate parking space. There is limited commuter parking available within the vicinity of the station and the spaces are regularly filled by 7 o’clock in the morning. This forces commuters to park in neighbouring streets, turning sleepy side streets into major thoroughfares with significant traffic congestion. In the worst areas local residents are not even able to park in their own streets. Then there are the local businesses in the Sandringham Village whose employees and customers are forced to park streets away in order to attend work and to support local traders.
I have been informed that in late 2019 the state government advised Bayside City Council that they will not be able to develop the additional car parks as the government instead plans to repurpose the existing car parking for rail storage as part of their Melbourne Metro project. Further, in a letter received from the Minister for Public Transport just yesterday, 3 June, the minister confirmed that the Department of Transport is working closely with relevant transport authorities in relation to infrastructure and functionality upgrades at Sandringham station including, quote, ‘on any land acquisitions necessary’.
So I am interested in the minister’s response to this question: what is Labor’s secret plan for Sandringham railway station? In the words of the Premier, ‘Say what you do and do what you say’. The federal government is standing by to do what they say, but the state Labor government seems unable to say what they are doing. It is my hope that the minister will now promptly provide Sandringham residents with the requested information to move the development of these car parks forward immediately.
