Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) — (13 153) My adjournment request is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. The action I seek is for the minister to visit Broadmeadows to provide an update on the benefits of the $1.2 billion CityLink-Tullamarine widening project for the economic development of one of Victoria's key gateways in Melbourne's north and its designated capital, Broadmeadows.

The CityLink-Tullamarine widening project will increase capacity, reduce travel times and improve safety on CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway. This is part of the blue-chip infrastructure that Melbourne's north offers. Its significance in how we develop this can be seen by having two train lines into the area. We have a spur into the Ford site, which can be harnessed and developed for economic development. We have the ring-road, we have Sydney Road and we have the curfew-free international airport at the back door. This is the critical convergence of blue-chip infrastructure that gives us a fantastic opportunity.

Recently we saw the Prime Minister in western Sydney saying, 'Here's $5 billion and we'll build the airport'. Well, we already have one, so let us leverage that. We have nearby Essendon Airport as well. The timing could not be better. We have the Victorian Planning Authority document that says:

Greater Broadmeadows will become the powerhouse of Melbourne's north. Catalyst investments and actions will unlock development potential for growth in local employment and for diversified housing.

I was delighted to see this strategy come out after the publication of Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope, which I published last year. We are winning the debate to see how we develop, particularly because of the growth that is occurring. One in 20 Australians is expected to live in Melbourne's north within two decades, meaning it will be the population size that Adelaide is now —

Mr Pearson — But much more fun.

Mr McGUIRE — The member for Essendon says, 'But much more fun'. It has a lot more to offer. It virtually has the United Nations in one neighbourhood. It has all of these different assets to try to now get the private sector to engage and see the opportunity in this area, which is within 16 kilometres of the heart of the world's most livable city, with all of these different propositions that we have. To be connected with transport is the critical infrastructure proposition that we need to harness, aggregate and leverage to bring new industries and new jobs. Once this project is complete I want the minister to come out to look at how we take the next steps and particularly get the commonwealth to engage and invest.