27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria
Question: 14773 QUESTION ON NOTICE — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Public Transport — With reference to the waiting rooms at Kensington Train Station and the Minister's response to Constituency Question No 12,211:
(1) Does the government have any plans to open the Kensington Train Station waiting rooms.
(2) Given that Kensington Station was last year ranked as Melbourne's second-most overcrowded station by the Public Transport Users Association, why does the Government rank it as an unstaffed station, rather than a premium or host station.
(3) How do other similar stations, such as Ascot Vale and Moonee Ponds, differ from Kensington Station such that it is appropriate for these stations to have open waiting rooms but not Kensington Station.
Answer: Transport for Victoria makes decisions about upgrading stations based a range of factors, such as local demographics, patronage figures, and the status of neighbouring stations. While there are no plans to upgrade Kensington station to a premium station, your request has been noted for future consideration.
Kensington is currently around the 100th busiest railway station of the 210 across the network. The Public Transport Users Association commentary referred to in the Member for Melbourne's question actually referred to the capacity of trains arriving at Kensington rather than the station itself.
The Andrews Labor Government is working hard to build capacity and reliability on the Craigieburn line in the immediate term through additional services, and in the longer term through the construction of the Metro Tunnel. The Metro Tunnel will enable a 27 per cent increase in capacity on the Craigieburn line, and will make a big difference for passengers catching the train from Kensington, allowing for an additional 54,000 passengers each week.
In late 2016, Metro Trains Melbourne undertook a structural assessment of the waiting room in Kensington and confirmed that a major refurbishment would be required for it to reopen. This would involve replacing the timber floors, stripping and rebuilding of walls, upgrading lighting and installing CCTV. An asbestos and lead-based paint check would also be required, which could further affect requirements. Unfortunately, such a refurbishment is not currently feasible.
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 06/09/2018
Question: 14774 QUESTION ON NOTICE — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Finance — With reference to the Housing Registrar guideline, Getting Tenants Involved, what is the rationale for not including resident owned and managed independent associations in chapter six.
Answer: Independent, resident owned and operated housing associations are not registered housing agencies under the Housing Act 1983. Therefore, their activities fall outside of the Housing Registrar's gazetted performance standards and regulatory guidance materials.
ROBIN SCOTT MP Minister for Finance
Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 28/08/2018
Question: 14775 QUESTION ON NOTICE — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Resources — With reference to Question on Notice 14,432 and the Minister's response:
(1) What was the exact date when the Interagency Reference Group first discussed the findings of elevated environmental lead levels at Costerfield noting that the Minister's response to part 2 of Question on Notice 14,432 only provided a range of time.
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 1/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria (2) What was the Interagency Reference Group's assessment of risk to Costerfield children at that first assessment.
Answer: 1. Elevated lead levels in some Costerfield soil samples were first discussed by the Interagency Reference Group on 25 November 2014, following Golder Associates collecting lead in soil samples from 31 properties at Costerfield in October 2014.
2. The Interagency Reference Group's first assessment was that additional analysis was required to determine the risk posed by the identified lead levels. Landowners were informed of their results while this additional analysis was being undertaken. The completed Costerfield Health Risk Assessment (Golder Associates, April 2016) concluded that it is safe to live in Costerfield and that any potential risks posed by antinomy, arsenic and lead can be appropriately managed.
TIM PALLAS MP Minister for Resources
Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 17/09/2018
Question: 14776 QUESTION ON NOTICE — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Resources — With reference to the Minister's response to Question on Notice 14,258:
Can the Minister provide the summated cumulative additional cancer risk from all sources of arsenic exposure for persons residing in properties adjacent the Woodvale Evaporation Ponds, noting that the Minister's response to part 2 of Question on Notice 14,258 only refers to individual isolated regulated standard of each component of exposure and not the Total Hazard from all four sources of exposure.
Answer: The Human Health Risk Assessment Woodvale Evaporation Pond Complex, Arcadis, Dec 2017, considered summated cumulative risks. This report is a public document. The Human Health Risk Assessment stated that "A comparison of the available site data against conservative published screening levels indicates that environmental media in off-site areas do not require management to reduce exposures or mitigate risks to surrounding off-site receptors [neighbouring residents]."
On 30 April 2018, the EPA wrote to residents living near the Woodvale Evaporation Ponds Complex advising that the site "poses a low risk to human health."
TIM PALLAS MP Minister for Resources Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 25/09/2018
Question: 14777 QUESTION ON NOTICE — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Public Transport — With reference to Victoria's bus network:
(1) How many electric buses are currently operating in Victoria. (2) What plans does the Government have to transition Victoria's public bus fleet to electric vehicles.
Answer: The Andrews Labor Government continues to invest in new technologies, new vehicles and better services to improve public transport in Victoria. In August 2016, Latrobe Valley Bus Lines, in partnership with Public Transport Victoria (PTV), Volvo, CMV Bus and Coach, commenced trialling the newest hybrid bus technology available in Australia.
The trial successfully operated the bus across the Latrobe Valley bus network, seven days a week for 12 months. During the trial, the hybrid bus technology resulted in reduced emissions, and reduced fuel consumption without compromising safety, performance or passenger comfort.
In addition to these new hybrid buses in the Latrobe Valley, earlier this year the Government announced the introduction of additional Victorian-built hybrid buses into the CDC Victoria fleet. The new hybrid buses will be introduced to the CDC fleet over the next three years as part of a new contract with the operator. qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 2/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 17/09/2018
Question: 14778 QUESTION ON NOTICE — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Ports — With reference to the Port of Hastings Development Authority:
(1) What shipping activity will the Port of Hasting Development Authority support by leasing crown allotment 2085 and constructing, operating and maintaining berthing and mooring facilities on the site.
(2) How much money has the Port of Hastings Development Authority accepted from AGL.
(3) Why has this money been provided.
Answer: The Crib Point Jetty at the Port of Hastings is presently used for the import of bulk liquids.
The Jetty has been used for approximately 50 years for the import and export of a variety of bulk liquids and is critical infrastructure required for the importation of petroleum and diesel with approximately 26 tanker ship visits each year.
Any investment by AGL at the Port of Hastings is a commercial arrangement.
The proposed Crib Point Gas Import Facility and adjoining pipeline will undergo an Environmental Effects Statement (EES). The proposal by AGL and APA will be closely examined and subject to community submissions under the strongest environmental assessment process in the State.
The EES will investigate the potential environmental, community and cultural impacts of the project including impacts on native vegetation, wildlife, marine life and Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The Government will establish a technical reference group as part of the assessment process and establish draft scoping requirements for public comment.
While the EES will deliver an assessment of the project's environmental effects, the final proposal will still need to comply with a range of regulatory approvals, including legislative requirements under the Environment Protection Act 1970, Pipeline Act 2005 and Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
The Port of Hastings Development Authority. has received approval to undertake remedial works at Crib Point jetty. These works would allow the jetty to be brought up to contemporary operating standards to allow for the continuation of current and potential future shipping activities. The Victorian Government has not provided any authorisation for AGL to commence any works in the area.
Hon Luke Donnellan MP Minister for Ports
Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 30/10/2018
Question: 14779 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Mr Burgess to ask the Minister for Public Transport — My question is to the Minister for Public Transport. I am seeking information on behalf of my constituents about matching funding from the Andrews state Labor government for the duplication and electrification of the Frankston rail line to Baxter, following last week's $450 million plan jointly announced in Baxter by both the Prime Minister and the Victorian Leader of the Opposition. My community is very excited about this stage 1 of the electrification and duplication of the entire Stony Point line. It is critically important transport infrastructure.
This is great news for local commuters, because under the Liberal plan the Frankston line will be extended by 8 kilometres as an electrified, twin-track railway to Baxter along the Stony Point line, with new railway stations at Frankston East, allowing improved access to Monash University and Frankston Hospital. A new station will also be built at Langwarrin, which is a wonderful outcome, and Baxter station will be upgraded. For the first time residents of Crib Point, Bittern, Hastings, Tyabb, Somerville, Pearcedale, Baxter and Langwarrin will be able to take a short drive to a qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 3/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria park-and-ride located just north of Baxter and catch a train all the way through to the city without having to change trains.
Answer: Transport for Victoria (TfV) has started work on a business case to assess the costs and benefits of electrifying the line to Baxter as well as additional enhancements including track duplications, level crossing removals, station upgrades, car parking and stabling. The business case will consider a range of issues including improved public transport service provision.
The Federal Government has provided $3 million towards the business case, which is supported by the Andrews Labor Government. The Andrews Labor Government is also spending over $2 billion on infrastructure works on the Frankston line that will enable a future rail extension. These infrastructure works include the removal of 13 level crossings (more than on any other line), the redevelopment of the Frankston station precinct and a new station at Southland. In addition, the current 6-train storage facility at Carrum will be replaced with a much larger storage facility at Kananook.
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 17/09/2018
Question: 14780 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Mr McGuire to ask the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation — My question is to the Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation. What impact has funding from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation had in the electorate of Broadmeadows? The Andrews Labor government is trying to protect Victoria's culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities from the harm of gambling by funding new targeted prevention projects. Research shows that while CALD communities in developed countries like Australia tend to gamble less than the overall population, those who do gamble are more likely to experience harm.
The foundation is providing 12 grants worth a total of $200,000 to Victoria's CALD communities to raise awareness about the risks of gambling and encourage people to seek help. It awarded $12,500 to Victorian Arabic Social Services to develop a program to avoid the risk of gambling for people under the age of 30. The project will address social isolation, the challenges of resettlement, the impact of trauma and its relationship to gambling harm. The foundation will use insights from these projects to develop a more tailored prevention program for these communities.
Answer: The Foundation takes a public health approach to addressing gambling harm, providing funding for prevention, early intervention and support services. Accordingly the Foundation provided funding in 2017-18 for a range of services and programs within the areas within the Broadmeadows electorate.
Local Gambler's Help Banyule Community Health ($1,394,368 ex GST) is funded to deliver activities including problem gambling counselling in the North West Melbourne catchment (which includes Broadmeadows). In 2017-18 there were 104 financial and therapeutic counselling clients residing in Hume.
In Language Gambler's Help: Arabic Welfare ($115,474 ex GST) and Victorian Arabic Social Services ($176,025 ex GST) are funded to provide services to the Arabic-speaking community. These organisations have specialist capabilities, including cultural knowledge and networks within the community, which enable them to provide specialist assistance with gambling harm, including counselling. In 2017-18, there were 55 therapeutic counselling clients at Arabic Welfare and 243 therapeutic and financial counselling clients at Victorian Arabic Social Services in Hume.
Libraries After Dark The Broadmeadows Library is participating in Libraries After Dark, a project delivering a variety of after- hours programs through local libraries and libraries located close to pokies venues. These activities are designed to provide choice through a range of social or recreational options during the evening, particularly to low and moderate risk gamblers, newly arrived migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, international students and the wider local community, to help prevent harm from gambling. Four councils (Moreland City Council, Hume City Council, Darebin Council, City of Whittlesea) are involved in this project, which has been funded for two years ($300,000 ex GST). Since the libraries began opening late in November 2017, there have been 7,931 people attend the library programs across all four councils.
State-wide programs The Foundation also funds state-wide programs such as the Gambler's Helpline, Peer Connect telephone service, and online resources. This includes the 100 Day Challenge which gives people the qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 4/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria opportunity to take a break from, or cut down on the amount of time and money they spend on, gambling by offering participants 100 alternative activities over 100 days.
Hon Marlene Kairouz MP Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 05/09/2018
Question: 14781 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Ms Kealy to ask the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change — My constituency question is to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. Despite many representations to the minister Wimmera residents are still suffering from the impacts of a gas supply monopoly, with gas prices skyrocketing and locals unable to access pay- on-time or e-billing discounts.
Minister, what have you done to break the Wimmera gas supply monopoly that is pushing up gas bills and hitting the back pockets of businesses and people living in my electorate?
Answer: Until 2013, a special regulatory arrangement constrained EnergyAustralia's gas tariff increases in Horsham, Stawell and Ararat, to no more than Consumer Price Index (CPI) rates of increase. This instrument, known as the Wimmera and Colac Gas Supply Tariff Order 1998, expired on 31 December 2013, under your government.
The Andrews Labor Government will continue to progress reform in the market through COAG and other processes to repair the damage done by the neglect of the Liberal and National party.
Hon Lily D'Ambrosio MP Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister for Suburban Development Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 20/09/2018
Question: 14782 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Ms Green to ask the Minister for Sport — My constituency question is to the Minister for Sport, and I ask: when will he be announcing the successful applicants in the Yan Yean electorate for round 5 of the defibrillators for sporting clubs and facilities program? The minister and I both know how vital this is in saving lives. The clubs in Yan Yean which have applied are the Diamond Creek Calisthenics Club, the Diamond Creek Women's Football Club, which I am proud to have sponsored for more than a decade now, the LEAP Seniors Golf Club and Plenty Tennis Club. I have my fingers crossed that they will receive good news.
I was pleased to see young Liam Birch last Saturday at the Wallan Football and Netball Club. He is recovering well after heart failure at only 17 years of age. He was resuscitated with a defibrillator that the club has. He has nominated Tony Freeman for a First Aid Champion award. I look forward to hearing the answers on the successful applicants from the minister.
Answer: I have already approved and announced over 1100 allocations under the Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program 2015-19. I am informed that there have already been three successful emergency deployments of a program delivered defibrillator, including the serious cardiac arrest incident involving Liam Birch. As recommended by the department, I approved the Diamond Creek Calisthenics Club, the Diamond Creek Women's Football Club, the LEAP Seniors Golf Club and Plenty Tennis Club applications. Formal advice on the assessment outcomes will be sent to all round five applicants in early September 2018. Successful applicants will also be provided with advice regarding the defibrillator delivery schedules for 2018- 19.
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 5/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria
The Hon John Eren MP Minister for Sport
Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 24/08/2018
Question: 14783 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Ms Ryall to ask the Minister for Roads and Road Safety — My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Why has the minister not addressed in his response to my Adjournment Matter No 14,403 the request for the opportunity for cars to do a U-turn on Maroondah Highway between the EastLink off ramp and the Heatherdale Road and Dampier Grove intersection. My adjournment highlighted the need for it, but the minister has not referred to it in his response, and I would like to know why.
Answer: I am advised that while U-turns are not allowed at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue and the EastLink interchange, motorists can undertake U-turns on the Maroondah Highway at the nearby Heatherdale and Dampier Grove intersection.
At the EastLink interchange, U-turns are prohibited at both approaches to prevent delay for traffic entering the on ramp. Allowing U-turn movement at the EastLink interchange can cause significant obstruction to the traffic entering, which subsequently impacts on through traffic along the Maroondah Highway.
At the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue, U-turns are not permitted on the east approach, as there is not a dedicated right turn lane. This is because the current arrangement gives priority to the important through traffic on the Maroondah Highway due to the close proximity to EastLink. On the west approach of Hillcrest Avenue, U-turns are not permitted, as the right turn lane for the EastLink on-ramp extends past this nearby intersection. This is noted with angled straight arrows to ensure that right turns or U-turns are not permitted at Hillcrest Avenue. This arrangement is flagged with ‘no right turn' and ‘no U turn' signs.
Hon Luke Donnellan MP Minister for Roads and Road Safety
Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 07/09/2018
Question: 14784 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Mr Carbines to ask the Minister for Emergency Services — My constituency question is to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Emergency Services, and the question I ask is for information in relation to the resolution to awarding tenders for the construction of the State Emergency Service (SES) headquarters in West Heidelberg. There is a $3 million budget allocation for that project. It has been progressing very well, and we are looking forward to getting the first sod turned on that redevelopment. It is a great service that will cover Banyule, Darebin and Yarra local government areas.
The State Emergency Service headquarters currently located at Alphington are not fit for purpose, and the SES crews and volunteers are very keen to get into the new headquarters at West Heidelberg. It is a great service to come to West Heidelberg and provide an opportunity for local people to get involved and volunteer their efforts to support the State Emergency Service. I look forward to information from the minister in relation to the contract signing.
Answer: No answer available
Attachments: No Attachments qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 6/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria Answer Published Date:
Question: 14785 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Ms Sandell to ask the Minister for Public Transport — My constituency question is for the Minister for Public Transport. Minister, what will the government do to ensure that trucks making their way to the Melbourne Metro Arden precinct construction site do not travel down Queensberry Street in North Melbourne, as has been agreed? Minister, residents in North Melbourne were advised that trucks would access the Arden precinct construction site via Laurens or Arden streets. This was also communicated to residents by the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority at the July-August construction update.
But constituents have contacted my office to tell me that numerous construction trucks carrying spoil from the site and materials to the site regularly travel down Queensberry Street, creating lots of noise and ruining the amenity of the area. My constituents are all absolutely in favour of the Melbourne Metro project, as am I, but it is crucial that the building contractors manage potential impacts on local residents and follow the agreed guidelines.
Answer: Since mid-2017, a section of the Metro Tunnel Arden Precinct construction site has been used to stockpile equipment and assembly of materials for the access shaft works occurring in the CBD. These works are being undertaken by Early Works Managing Contractor John Holland.
John Holland trucks (with the exception of B-doubles) are permitted to use Queensberry Street as an approved truck route for the purpose of moving equipment and spoil between the shaft site in the CBD and the support site at Arden. This route was included in the Traffic Management Plan developed and approved in consultation with the relevant road management authorities. John Holland trucks will continue to access the support site at Arden, via Queensberry Street, until late-September 2018.
The contractor appointed to build the Tunnels and Stations package of works, Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP), commenced construction on the new North Melbourne Station at the Arden Precinct site in March 2018. Rail Projects Victoria and CYP remain committed to minimising impacts from truck movements on the surrounding community during construction of the station.
In recognition of concerns from local residents, CYP has three designated construction truck routes in place for the Arden Precinct which all avoid the use of Queensberry Street. Non-conformance is actively policed, including on the ground monitoring via gatekeepers at the Arden Precinct site.
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 17/09/2018
Question: 14786 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Ms Graley to ask the Minister for the Creative Industries — My question is to the Minister for Creative Industries and concerns the upgrade and redevelopment of Melbourne's arts precinct. I ask the minister: what are the plans for the redevelopment of the new National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) contemporary and redeveloped arts precinct? The new-look arts precinct in Southbank will see 18,000 square metres of public space built or redeveloped. The project will also upgrade theatres and public spaces at the Arts Centre Melbourne and transform 1 City Road into a new creative hub in the heart of the city. We have the opportunity here to develop a world-class arts and design precinct. We have many arts and culture fans in Narre Warren South, and I know they really enjoyed the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces at the NGV and just loved the Triennial over last summer, so we are looking forward to see what will happen in this very new and exciting cultural and arts precinct down at Southbank. All Victorians are going to get a great experience.
Answer: This Government is committed to ensuring Victorians continue to enjoy and participate in world class arts and cultural experiences. Our recently announced $208 million investment will kick-start a once-in- a-lifetime transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct, with an iconic new gallery for contemporary art and design - NGV Contemporary (NGVC) - as its centrepiece. The NGVC will be one of Australia's most significant galleries for contemporary art and design, placed within one of the best creative and cultural precincts in the world.
In addition to the NGVC, this initiative will also help reimagine the Arts Centre by refreshing the venue's ageing Theatres Building and deliver a new state-of-the-art creative campus on 1 City Road to accommodate work spaces for the Arts Centre and other creative organisations, the Australian Music Vault and a new Performing Arts Gallery.
Once completed, this project will generate significant cultural and economic value for the State by:
creating 18,000sqm of new and renewed public space qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 7/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria generating an additional 10,000 jobs during construction with 260 ongoing attracting an extra 3 million visitors to Victoria each year, including a significant number from interstate and overseas.
This initial investment will fund the first stage of planning and design for this visionary, city-shaping project, taking us through to the start of construction.
Martin Foley MP Minister for Creative Industries
Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 29/08/2018
Question: 14787 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Mr Katos to ask the Minister for Police — My constituency question is to the Minister for Police. When will the minister direct more police resources into the Geelong region and fund protective services officers (PSOs) at the Moorabool Street bus interchange? Once again I rise in this place to seek more police resources for the South Barwon electorate and the wider Geelong and Surf Coast communities, where I am hearing time and time again that people are worried about the levels of crime. An incoming Liberal government will introduce PSOs at the Moorabool Street bus interchange, but the minister's inaction means they are required now.
I continue to get strong support for my petition calling on the minister to give more police numbers to the region. At my most recent mobile office in Torquay last Saturday I heard from residents that they are afraid in their own homes at night — at every bump in the night. My Facebook page gained yet another comment from a concerned constituent, Alison, who informed me that there have been numerous reports of people getting into fights at the Moorabool Street bus interchange and an incident of a lady being kicked by thugs at the Highton shopping centre. She went on to tell me that a family member of hers who is only 17 years old was approached by a man threatening to take his shoes. Minister, when will you take action?
Answer: I can assure the Member that I am fully committed to ensuring that police in the Greater Geelong region are properly resourced.
The Andrews Labor Government has funded an additional 53 frontline police officers in the Geelong area since coming to office. A total of 15 police officers were deployed to Geelong and Bellarine as part of the 2015/16 State Budget. A further 10 were deployed to the Geelong Division as part of the 2016/17 State Budget.
An additional 28 police officers are currently being deployed to the Geelong Division, which services the Geelong and Surf Coast communities. This includes, 17 police officers to the Geelong Police Service Area, specialist unit resources, including 9 family violence specialists and two Divisional Highway Patrol officers, shared across the broader Geelong Division.
Under the 2017/18 State Budget, the Government also provided $62.3 million to recruit an additional 100 Protective Services Officers (PSOs), 25 of which have already been deployed, to form mobile squads to flexibly patrol the public transport network.
While the previous Liberal National Government expressly prohibited the deployment of PSOs on trains and other places, we have legislated to give PSOs the powers they need to support community safety and the capacity to be deployed to where they are needed.
This includes different times of day and night to target hotspots, including bus interchanges. We now also have PSOs deployed on trains.
As we committed to in the Community Safety Statement 2018-19 work is also underway to further expand the deployment of PSOs into shopping centres, malls, and other places of mass gathering, to ensure Victorians feel safe in public places.
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 8/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria In addition to police resources, the Government has made significant investments in crime prevention initiatives. On 24 August 2018, as part of the latest round of Community Safety Fund grants, I announced almost $30,000 in funding for four projects in the Geelong and Bellarine area. These investments in Geelong and the Bellarine will make a real difference to improving the safety of local communities.
The Community Safety Grants are part of the Government's $25 million investment in its Community Crime Prevention Program to improve community safety and prevent crime, building on the $19.4 million invested in 2016/17.
Our significant investment in police is making a real difference, with the latest independent Crime Statistics Agency data showing that crime in the Greater Geelong Local Government Area (LGA) continues to decrease. I note that for the year ending 31 March 2018, the offence rate decreased in the Greater Geelong an d Surf Coast LGAs by 1.2 per cent and 13.1 per cent respectively.
The Hon Lisa Neville MP Minister for Police Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 19/09/2018
Question: 14788 CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Mr Bull (Sunbury) to ask the Minister for Public Transport — My question is for the Minister for Public Transport. Minister, what is the latest information on designs for the provision of an additional 300 new commuter car parking spaces at the Sunbury station? I was incredibly pleased to join the minister a few months ago to announce funding for these much-needed spaces, and I know my community is extremely keen to hear an update on this important matter. Those opposite have committed to a baseless plan that is fundamentally flawed. They have not even bothered to speak to local landowners. It appears that only the Andrews Labor government gets things done in my community. I ask for an update from the minister on designs for the provision of the additional 300 car parking spaces.
Answer: I thank the Member for his question and I'd like to acknowledge and congratulate him for his tireless advocacy on behalf of his community. He was relentless in pursuing a better deal for commuters using Sunbury station and his success is big win for his electorate.
I am pleased to advise the Member for Sunbury that parking at Sunbury Station will become easier through the addition of 300 new spaces, with construction to get underway in 2019. The existing multi- deck car park on the west side of the railway line will be extended with a new level constructed to accommodate the additional car parking spaces. The works will also improve connectivity between the car park and the station, as well as access for people of all abilities.
VicTrack will deliver the project and is currently working with Hume City Council, various transport stakeholders, architects and technical specialists to develop and refine the concept design.
The concept design will be available for stakeholder and community feedback in coming months. This will be followed by a period of detailed design and the necessary approvals processes. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2019 and be completed in 2020.
The Andrews Labor Government is upgrading the car park at Sunbury Station because of the growing demand for car parking and the increasing number of public transport users in the area. This upgrade is part of the Andrews Labor Government's $60 million commitment to providing more than 2,000 new and upgraded car parking spaces across Victoria.
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport
Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 25/09/2018
Question: 14789 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr Angus to ask the Minister for Education — I raise a matter of importance for the attention of the Minister for Education. The action I seek is for the minister to reverse his decision to sack school cleaners and to reinstate the previous qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 9/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria school cleaning arrangements whereby a school could directly engage its own cleaner. I have been contacted by several of my school principals, school council presidents and parents lamenting the outcomes of the minister's recent policy change. Common issues that have been raised with me range from the poor quality of cleaning undertaken and rubbish bins not being emptied through to the almost unbelievable situation of a cleaner on site not holding a working with children check and thus placing students at that school at potential risk.
Let me highlight the specific example of one of my local schools, Livingstone Primary School. Livingstone Primary School is a very well run, high achieving and growing primary school. The school has enjoyed a long and very satisfactory relationship with its previous school cleaners for over 10 years. I have been contacted by the school council president, and I have met with him and also spoken to him several times. He has updated me regarding the ongoing issues being encountered at his school, which include the following examples: at 8.45 a.m. one school day, four of seven female toilets did not have toilet paper in them, a totally unsatisfactory and very distressing situation for young female students; cleaning trolleys and equipment being left in corridors after the commencement of the school day in the way of both students and potential school parents on a school tour; bins being left without a bin liner; cleaning cupboards being left open overnight; and less cleaning actually being done — now 8 hours per day compared with the previous 13 hours per day — and the cleaning being done to a lower standard than it was previously. I have also seen photographs of various totally unsatisfactory situations, including photographs of a urinal that is in desperate need of a comprehensive clean.
I know that all my 21 school principals and their staff along with school council presidents and members are all working hard to provide the best possible environment for their students. However, the minister's recent changes to the longstanding and totally satisfactory cleaning arrangements at my schools have made that task much more difficult. It has resulted in a complete waste of manpower, both in numerous meetings trying to resolve these situations and also trying to make alternate cleaning arrangements.
An article in the Age newspaper yesterday about this terrible situation was headlined, 'Audit on school cleaning shambles'. This article correctly noted that the current school cleaning situation is a shambles and that the government is going to initiate an audit by the Department of Education and Training to try to sort out the mess it has itself created. There are no details as to when this so-called audit will be completed or what it will entail. It is another smokescreen by a crisis-ridden government that thinks it can solve a problem through tokenistic lip-service.
I ask the minister to acknowledge that his decision to sack school cleaners was a complete mistake, and I ask that he apologise to my school communities, humble himself and reinstate the previous arrangements whereby school councils could directly select and employ their school cleaners. I look forward to hearing from the Minister for Education that these matters have been addressed.
Answer: No answer available Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date:
Question: 14790 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr Pearson to ask the Minister for Sport — I direct my adjournment debate tonight to the Minister for Sport, and the action I seek is that the minister join me at Boeing Reserve, Strathmore Heights, at the site of the proposed Chris Lane memorial field. I have got to know Andrea Kane, who is the late Chris Lane's sister, and this is what Andrea wrote: Chris was tragically shot and killed while out for a run on August 16, 2013 while on a baseball scholarship in the states.
After Chris passed, his baseball community and friends put a petition together for a ground in his honour, the first little league ground in Australia. Chris loved baseball, but it wasn't all about the game. It was about the friends he made while playing, the lessons he learnt and the opportunity it gave him. We want Chris's ground to be built to make sure his dreams and achievements live on. We would love to see lots of kids getting to play on a real little league ground. These kids can have dreams about playing MLB or in stadiums around the world. The kids might hear stories about older guys who got the opportunity to travel or go to college. The loss of Chris has had a profound impact on Andrea and Chris's mother, and it would be wonderful if the minister could join me at the site of this proposed field.
Answer: I refer to your adjournment debate matter requesting that I join you at Boeing Reserve, Strathmore Heights, at the site of the proposed Chris Lane memorial field.
Firstly, I'd like to commend you on your commitment to advocating the importance of sport and recreation in your electorate. qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 10/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria Providing high quality sport and recreation infrastructure is a key aim of the government, and is integral to the health and well-being of all Victorians. In April I announced a government commitment of $241 million for community sport, including $60 million for the continuation of the Community Sports Infrastructure Fund and another $15 million for the Female Friendly Facilities Fund.
I can confirm Moonee Valley City Council has submitted an application to the 2018/19 Community Sports Infrastructure Fund - Minor Facilities category for the Chris Lane Memorial Junior Baseball Field project. The amount applied for is $100,000 with an expected project total of $242,500. The application is currently under consideration by Sport and Recreation Victoria.
Currently, the Essendon Baseball Club is restricted to developing their juniors on a grass oval that they share with cricket in the summer. The Chris Lane Memorial Junior Baseball Field project will be a junior facility that will provide a quality playing surface for the club's growing junior program.
I was pleased to attend the site of the proposed Chris Lane Memorial Field with you on Tuesday 14 August 2018.
The Hon John Eren MP Minister for Sport
Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 24/08/2018
Question: 14791 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr Bull (Gippsland East) to ask the Minister for Public Transport for the Minister for Agriculture — I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Agriculture in the other place. The action I seek is for her to write to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) — that is a mouthful — over concerns being raised in relation to the proposed seismic testing off the East Gippsland coast. There are currently four surveys planned in south-east Australia, but one in particular is causing great concern due to its size and its major overlap onto critically important fishing grounds. The French company CGG intends to undertake a 17,000-square kilometre survey in eastern Bass Strait in what would be one of the largest surveys seen in the country. The area proposed for survey is eight times the size of Port Phillip Bay. I am advised the company has no authority to extract oil or gas in Australia but simply intends to undertake the survey with the intention of onselling the results. No-one is asking them to do this.
Recent research off Tasmania has shown after four seismic passes 20 per cent of scallops died and that after exposure to a seismic survey crayfish lost the ability to extend their tails and right themselves if turned upside down. Other research showed that a seismic survey produced a 2- kilometre dead zone where two-thirds of zooplankton died. This also raises concerns about the effects on fish eggs and larvae which float in the water column. International research shows that, understandably, fish swim away from large seismic soundwaves. Fishermen across the world report that following a seismic survey marine habitats become unproductive and catch rates drop for a year or longer. In certain cases seismic testing must occur of course, but the scale of this proposal over vital fishing grounds when no-one is asking for it to be done raises massive concerns.
The fishing industry is very concerned about CGG's plans, which will impact on rural communities like Port Welshpool in the electorate of Gippsland South and Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota in my electorate. Under this proposal the industry is being asked to leave fishing grounds for five months and then accept lowered catch rates for a year or more. I am advised that CGG has completed a study into the financial effect this will have on the fishing industry but refuses to release this information. The industry believes that the cost could be in the vicinity of $10 million. Some fisheries, such as the Danish seine fishery in Lakes Entrance, will have all of their fishing grounds impacted by this.
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 11/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria The fishing industry in south-east Australia is proud of its history of working in partnership with oil and gas companies — more than 10 surveys have been completed over the last 10 years — but this one has the alarm bells ringing. I ask the minister to take this matter up with NOPSEMA, as I intend to do myself.
Answer: The proposed seismic testing raised by Mr Bull is within Commonwealth waters. The relevant Commonwealth regulator is the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).
NOPSEMA has advised that an Environment Plan for the CGG proposal has not yet been submitted. Under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2009, CGG must submit an Environment Plan to NOPSEMA for assessment before beginning any petroleum or greenhouse gas related activities in Commonwealth waters. Within the environment plan, CGG must demonstrate that the environmental impacts and risks of its proposal will be of an acceptable level and will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable. This includes any impacts of seismic testing on fisheries resources, habitats and ecosystems.
NOPSEMA employs specialist staff with core expertise in assessing acoustic effects on marine fauna to assess Environmental Plans.
As part of development of an Environmental Plan, CGG also has a legal obligation to consult with parties (or relevant persons) that are directly impacted by the proposed activity. NOPSEMA has advised that CGG will be expected to consult with the Victorian Fisheries Authority and that NOPSEMA will ensure that any concerns raised will be addressed.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority is responsible for managing Victoria's fisheries resources and fishing activities under the provisions of the Fisheries Act 1995. This includes protecting and conserving fisheries resources, habitats and ecosystems.
Hon Jaala Pulford MP Minister for Agriculture Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 04/09/2018
Question: 14792 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Ms Graley to ask the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and concerns family violence in the City of Casey. The action I seek is that the minister visit the City of Casey to discuss family violence prevention initiatives.
There continue to be alarming levels of family violence in the Casey area. For the past six years Casey has reported the highest number of family violence incidents in Victoria. Over 4,700 incidents in Casey were reported last year alone. It is deeply disturbing that there are so many victims in our local community who have experienced extreme and unrelenting forms of violence, intimidation, control and abuse. They are mostly women. It is equally disturbing to hear that far too often victims of family violence feel that they cannot access support systems or the assistance they need in such difficult times. I hear reports of victims feeling that they have been left unseen, unheard and unprotected in our own system. Though we have taken great strides in creating a system that supports and protects victims of family violence, we still have a long way to go.
I am very proud to be part of the Andrews Labor government, which has taken a serious approach to tackling family violence in Victoria. I am pleased to say that we have implemented 90 of the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Family Violence, and we are on the way to implementing the other 137. But as the commission's report says, the causes of family violence are complex. We know that family violence is deeply rooted in community attitudes and that its root cause is gender inequality.
Local government has always been the level of government closest to the people. It has the unique position of having significant reach, influence and access to people in the community, especially through the provision of facilities and services. I have long been advocating for a new community services hub in the Webb Street area where multidisciplinary agencies can provide support services to locals locally. This needs to happen.
Back in 2015 in this place family violence survivor Kristy McKellar said: We should never underestimate the important role that each of us plays in changing lives, enabling individuals to live the lives they had imagined but just never thought possible. We need a better understanding and an improved plan in the City of Casey so that the local government, in partnership with all levels of government, community agencies and local groups like schools and churches, can finally launch a concerted and united attack on family violence in qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 12/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria the City of Casey. There is much all of us can do, but we are more likely to succeed if we do it together. I am very much looking forward to the minister's visit.
Answer: I was pleased to visit the City of Casey on the 16th of August 2018 to discuss family violence prevention initiatives in the local community. I was particularly pleased to announce additional funding through our Free from Violence Local Government Grants of $80,000 for the City of Casey and other partners to continue their Embedding Change - Creating a Safe and Inclusive Casey program.
A number of investments in family violence prevention initiatives have been made in the Southern Melbourne area, which covers the City of Casey, as well as Cardinia and Greater Dandenong. Some these include:
•· Building Capacity in Primary Prevention within Faith-based/arts settings project ($109,835 total funding) led by InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence to prevent family violence in the local Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communities. •· Safer and Stronger Communities led by South East Community Links ($520,000 total funding to work with migrant and refugee communities in Casey and Greater Dandenong.
In addition to family violence prevention initiatives, the Victorian Government is committed to implementing all 227 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, including recommendation 37 - that a Support and Safety Hub is established in each of the 17 DHHS Local Areas, including in the Southern Melbourne Area.
In the 2017-18 State Budget, $7.33 million of new funding was invested in the Southern Melbourne Area (including Casey) to enhance the capacity of eight local agencies to respond to family violence in the region. This included over $6.5 million to support victim survivors of family violence and over $800,000 for initiatives targeted at changing perpetrator behaviour.
We know that through investments like these we can create a Victoria free from violence.
Hon Natalie Hutchins MP Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
Attachments: No Attachments Answer Published Date: 24/09/2018
Question: 14793 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr Thompson (Sandringham) to ask the Minister for Education — The matter I wish to raise is for the attention of the Minister for Education. The action that I seek is for the minister to review the reinstatement of the original cleaning contracts in Victoria that saw local schools being cleaned by local cleaners. Local cleaners were conscientious, they took responsibility to do a good job and they understood the extent of works to be undertaken. Rather than cleaning contracts in Victoria being a union takeover to bring about change dynamics within the Labor Party, there should be the scope for people to be self-employed, to earn their own income, to work in concert with their local school communities and to do an excellent job.
I am familiar with the conditions of grounds within my electorate, the excellent work undertaken by people who had responsibility for ground maintenance, the extra skill, care, attention, responsibility and focus of local school principals, who take great pride in the condition of their local school grounds, and the contribution of the parent communities. I have had a number of stakeholder meetings with people over the years, and more recently this year, where people have been appalled at this state's unionised takeover of cleaning contracts whereby the actual cleaners being employed were being paid less, on my information, than the current people being employed. They were being paid less and were given less time to do the work.
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 13/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria Rather than being oligarchies of elites with the union movement and other stakeholders, it is my view that we should promote individual responsibility, self-reliance and the hard work of mum- and-dad school cleaners who do a great job in local school cleaning contracts — not the unionisation of a workforce, an inferior job being done and people being subjected to inferior work conditions. There have been reports in the press recently in which people have complained about the results of the work, including sewerage running out of toilets where the job had not been done according to the original standard. I also empathise in that after 14 years of Labor government in the last 18 years, the run-down condition of many local schools within my electorate makes it much harder for the cleaners to do a great job.
I also wish to pay tribute to the many local school principals who have put in the extra hours of work to bring about improved learning environments. There is a correlation between the school environment and student learning outcomes. At the present time the reforms of the government have set Victorian education backwards.
Answer: I am informed as follows:
The Andrews Labor Government has zero tolerance for poor labour practices and is committed to ensuring that all school cleaning staff are paid their legal wages and entitlements. The Government has given serious consideration to the effect of these reforms, and we believe that they are necessary to protect the conditions of cleaning staff across all government schools.
Our cleaning model is addressing the systematic underpayment of cleaning staff that was found to be occurring through multiple investigations by the Department of Education and Training. Reform was clearly required to ensure workers were paid appropriately. The new model has been designed to provide all schools with high-quality cleaning services, supported by school-specific performance standards and ongoing audits and reporting.
This is a significant reform and I acknowledge that some schools have experienced disruption throughout Term 3 as the new model is being implemented. The Department is supporting schools in resolving and monitoring these issues until resolution.
A standards and performance-based contract between the Department and the service providers sets out the arrangements, and a robust performance monitoring process is in place to make sure providers are meeting the obligations outlined in this contract.
The new cleaning model is working well for most schools. As expected with large reforms, teething problems during implementation do occur. The Department takes each of these concerns seriously, and is working with individual schools to resolve each one. The Department has established auditing and monitoring components to assist with compliance monitoring. The Department will continue to monitor the situation of schools experiencing transitional issues to ensure every school gets quality cleaning under this model. I wish to thank principals for their patience and support as these transitional issues are resolved.
Although some service providers are large organisations, the cleaning staff employed are a part of the school community. On that note, we are working with service providers to ensure the local cleaning teams have support during this time of change and we ask that schools bring their new or existing cleaner into your school community.
______The Hon James Merlino MP Deputy Premier Minister for Education Minister for Emergency Services Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 10/09/2018
Question: 14794 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr McGuire to ask the Minister for Roads and Road Safety — My adjournment request is to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. The action I seek is a report on when local projects in my electorate will begin under the Andrews Labor government's $100 million Safer Cyclists and Pedestrians Fund, which is aimed at protecting and encouraging cyclists and pedestrians right across Victoria.
The government has committed $3.5 million to extend the Upfield bike path between Box Forest Road in Fawkner and the M80 ring-road as part of this year's state budget. The existing Upfield bike path between Princes Park and Box Forest Road will also be upgraded, with additional lighting and safety improvements. Once complete, the path will provide a safe off-road alternative to Sydney Road for cyclists and pedestrians all the way from the M80 ring-road to Princes Park.
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 14/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria Answer: The 2018-19 Victorian State Budget includes $22.7 million to connect missing links in Victoria's walking and cycling network and improve safety for some of our most vulnerable road users. This includes a $3.5 million investment for the Upfield Bike Path, which will remove ‘bottlenecks', improve crossings and lighting and extend the path all the way from Princes Park to the Western Ring Road. VicRoads and the Moreland City Council are working together to develop and implement these bike path works, with construction expected to commence in mid-2019.
Hon Luke Donnellan MP Minister for Roads and Road Safety Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 20/09/2018
Question: 14795 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr Northe to ask the Minister for Public Transport — My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Public Transport. The action I seek is for the minister to amend what I believe is a discriminatory public transport ticketing system whereby Latrobe Valley residents who have a Seniors Card are financially disadvantaged in comparison to their metropolitan counterparts and seniors in some other areas of regional Victoria when utilising public transport.
At the moment senior travellers in the Latrobe Valley are often required to pay much more when they utilise our train and bus networks, in particular when you compare those to seniors in Melbourne but also, as I say, in some other regional centres. For example, Public Transport Victoria state that Victorian seniors Myki holders are all eligible for free travel on Saturdays and Sundays. However, when you look at the criteria they also state that free travel is over two consecutive zones, and this causes a massive disadvantage for senior travellers in my electorate. The free weekend two consecutive zone travel criteria essentially mean that a senior in the Latrobe Valley can travel from Traralgon to Morwell or Morwell to Traralgon and that is it - that is a total distance of 11 kilometres or thereabouts. If you are a senior in Melbourne, you can travel vast distances, close to 100 kilometres across two consecutive zones, whereas, as I say, in the Latrobe Valley it is 11 kilometres. Another example is of a senior who resides in Pakenham. They can travel to Melbourne on a weekend for free, whether attending an event or an appointment or to visit a friend. But if you are a senior who lives in the Latrobe Valley it will cost you $21.42 on a weekend, and I think that is grossly unfair.
We all recognise that seniors who live in regional Victoria are often disadvantaged by public transport connectivity and the options they have available. However, under the current rules metropolitan seniors are able to travel many, many more kilometres for free than those in regional Victoria and particularly in the Latrobe Valley, and that is completely flawed logic, in my view. It is my understanding that seniors in some other regional areas, whether it is Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura or Warrnambool, can travel on the bus for free on weekends, and rightly so — but Latrobe Valley seniors cannot, and that is not fair. Even when you look at the cap on the concession rate on bus fares, Latrobe Valley seniors pay more than double what is paid by seniors in Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour and Warragul. So I ask the minister to fix what is an unfair system with respect to Latrobe Valley seniors when using public transport.
Answer: All Victorian Seniors can access free weekend travel in two consecutive zones on buses, trains and trams. For customers in the Latrobe Valley, this includes trips such as Morwell to Traralgon, Moe to Morwell and Boolarra to Churchill.
Seniors free weekend travel in two consecutive zones is to encourage Seniors to get out and about in their local area using public transport.
Free state-wide travel can be accessed by using one of the four off-peak free travel vouchers issued annually to each regional Victorian Senior.
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 10/09/2018
Question: 14796 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Ms Halfpenny to ask the Minister for Education — I wish to raise with the Minister for Education a matter regarding Peter Lalor Vocational College and the Head Start initiative. The action I seek is that the minister visit the school to see firsthand the great work done by the students, teachers and staff. Peter Lalor Vocational College has had many lives over time. It was first a technical school, then it was a general secondary school and qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 15/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria now it is a vocational college taking students from around the area from year 10. In its current form I believe it has flourished and is really holding its own in the area and supporting a great need around the northern suburbs. Students come from all over, not just from the Thomastown electorate but from many suburbs, from Broadmeadows or further afield into the Doreen area.
As it is a vocational college they spend a lot of time on vocational work and vocational education and training programs. For example, beauty courses and hospitality courses are being run at the school and there are of course Victorian certificate of applied learning courses, which are about ensuring that kids who may not be particularly interested in school are able to follow their passion by learning in that area and also do that in conjunction with the formal parts of the Victorian school curriculum.
This school has been selected as one of the few schools to pilot the Head Start initiative, which is a program that will provide extra resources for up to 100 different schools across Victoria, to be used to pay for things such as a Head Start coordinator to provide employment and vocational pathway advice and to support the students, as well as to allow students to spend an extra year at school to actually complete an apprenticeship or a traineeship.
This school has been doing a lot of this work already. I have to say that the teachers and staff are so committed and supportive of students. I went to the graduation night last year. It was fantastic to see so many students graduating and all their families there to support them. Special congratulations to the principal, Rod Sheehan, and the assistant principal, David McKay, and on all the work done by the students as well as the staff to make this a school that really excels in the vocational fields and gives the students a lot of very important life skills as well as the training and support they need.
Answer: The Minister for Education: I am informed as follows: The Head Start initiative will commence in 2019 and will involve 100 government schools across Victoria, delivering an additional 1700 apprenticeships and traineeships over the next four years. I am pleased to confirm that Peter Lalor Vocational College is one of the successful schools, as part of a cluster of schools in North East Melbourne. Site selection has taken into account a number of factors including identifying where there are existing vocational education cluster arrangements and whether schools in the area had strong vocational programs. Other criteria includes assessment of local industry demand for school based apprentices and trainees as well as the availability of high quality training providers. I would be pleased to visit Peter Lalor Vocational College as soon as my schedule permits. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the hard work of the staff and students at Peter Lalor Vocational College and the efforts being put into their Vocational Training. I look forward to all of the schools involved in the Head Start initiative continuing the positive work in vocational education.
______The Hon James Merlino MP Deputy Premier Minister for Education Minister for Emergency Services Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 22/08/2018
Question: 14797 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Mr Riordan to ask the Minister for Roads and Road Safety — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. The action I seek is for the minister to provide details of how he is going to improve the safety of people on the Great Ocean Road touring route, given the growing number of non-Victorian licence-holders who are regularly risking their and others lives due to a lack of basic understanding of Victorian road conditions. These are just some of the dangers faced in the last week by road users in south-western Victoria. On 3 August the Warrnambool Standard reported: Police officers ... were left shaken after narrowly avoiding a head-on collision when a Hong Kong national tried to overtake several cars across double lines on the Great Ocean Road. A letter dated 4 August from the Timboon school principal to me in part reads: I had a serious near miss this week ... a car was driving at high speed on the wrong side of the road heading towards Timboon ... with a car full of passengers, he ran me from the road before correcting. On 7 August, the Warrnambool Standard again reported another run-in with police cars: First Constable Cook said the Chinese national, aged in his 30s, failed to give way to the oncoming police car ... He said police were forced to brake heavily and narrowly avoided colliding with ... an oncoming car.
This government has made much of its claims on road safety, but it refuses to acknowledge a problem VicRoads south-western regional director Mark Koliba earlier this year said accounted for 21 per cent of reported crashes on the Great Ocean Road. We do not need to ban non- Victorian licence-holders, but we can do more. Currently VicRoads recognises the driving qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 16/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria licences from only 27 jurisdictions. All other licence-holders, should they wish to get a Victorian licence, must be retested. With growing hire-drive tourism being encouraged and supported, this is a huge road safety issue. The government must insist on hire car companies using technology such as virtual reality to test for basic skills and understanding of the Victorian road rules and conditions. Better and more specialised GPS and auto-driving products must be supplied to people taking on the Great Ocean Road's 10-hour round trip. We cannot turn such a great industry as tourism, one that local and regional communities very much support, into an unnecessarily dangerous and deadly industry that communities do not support. It is easily remedied and can be done so much better.
Answer: We are committed to improving road safety for all road users in Victoria and ensuring international visitors drive with confidence and stay safe on our roads.
Tourism Victoria has launched a visiting driver awareness program last year including key road safety messages. The program comprises a suite of resources including:
A simplified Chinese version of the Safety Tips for Visitors to Victoria brochure; A short road safety video (English and Chinese versions) for broadcast via key social media channels and websites; Supporting promotional materials (such as Keep Left stickers), which can be ordered online by vehicle rental companies and other interested parties; and Billboard advertising.
Tourism Victoria is undertaking ongoing work to promote the program at holiday accommodation sites and with hire car companies. The program was modelled on the successful New Zealand Visiting Drivers initiative. The key messages of the program are for drivers to get to know the road rules, signs and markings before they drive.
VicRoads has installed more than 100 Drive on the Left signs and road direction markings along the Great Ocean Road, is installing road direction signs in Chinese to reduce confusion around roadworks and will continue to look at further ways to promote information for tourists.
Additionally, VicRoads and Tourism Victoria are already working together to ensure that car hire companies are providing road safety and road rule material with hire cars. VicRoads also translates key road safety rules into a number of languages and making this material available for car hire companies via the VicRoads website for download.
Hon Luke Donnellan MP Minister for Roads and Road Safety Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 17/09/2018
Question: 14798 ADJOURNMENT MATTER — Ms Ward to ask the Minister for Public Transport — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to come to my electorate and meet with the Diamond Valley Transport Association. Minister, I thank you and the Premier for coming to Eltham recently to announce that a re-elected Labor government would invest $530 million in the duplication of the Hurstbridge line, allowing for 10-minute services from Eltham and Montmorency and 20-minute services from Diamond Creek, Wattle Glen and Hurstbridge. Speaker, you and I both know exactly how long our communities have been waiting for something like this.
This is an incredibly important announcement for my community that builds on previous investments by Labor for this train line. This includes the duplication of the line between Clifton Hill and Westgarth, modernising signalling and increasing power supply to the Clifton Hill substation, as well as the recent duplication of the line between Rosanna and Heidelberg and the level crossing removal at Grange Road and Lower Plenty Road. Importantly, this commitment also preserves the iconic trestle bridge as well as the neighbouring childcare centre, the cricket nets and the oval and clubrooms.
Minister, there is a great deal of interest and support in my community for this announcement, and I ask you to come to my community and speak with the Diamond Valley Transport Association regarding this announcement and other public transport initiatives of the Andrews government.
Answer: I thank the Member for Eltham for her continued advocacy for better public transport services on behalf of her community, through the Andrews Labor Government's investments in Melbourne's northeast.
We said we would deliver locals in Melbourne's north-east more peak hour train services and less time stuck at boom gates. qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 17/18 27/04/2021 Parliament of Victoria
The first stage of the $395 million Hurstbridge Line Upgrade has been delivered - six months early and on budget. This includes the new Rosanna Station, duplicated track between Heidelberg and Rosanna and the removal of the dangerous level crossings at Alphington and Rosanna.
There's more to do and only Labor will deliver the next stage of the Hurstbridge Line Upgrade to give local commuters more train services and a more comfortable commute.
The $530 million Hurstbridge Line Upgrade - Stage 2 project will include a brand new train station at Greensborough and the duplication of three kilometres of track between Greensborough and Montmorency, and 1.5 kilometres of track between Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen to allow more train services during the morning peak.
This will allow trains to run every six and a half minutes at Greensborough, every 10 minutes at Eltham and Montmorency, and every 20 minutes at Hurstbridge, Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen - as well as two extra Hurstbridge express services.
I look forward to speaking with the Member for Eltham to arrange a time to discuss these and other important projects benefitting her community.
Hon Jacinta Allan MP Member for Bendigo East Minister for Public Transport Attachments: No Attachments
Answer Published Date: 17/09/2018
qon.parliament.vic.gov.au/PARLIAMENT/General/QoN/PROD/qonarchive.nsf/printAllQuestions.xsp 18/18