Community has say on crossing removals

MORE than 800 residents have made submissions to Kingston Council to shape its advocacy priorities for level crossing removal projects in Mordialloc and Aspendale.

The state government is removing the level crossings at McDonald Street in Mordialloc and Station Street in Aspendale with rail over road, and closing the crossing at Bear Street in Mordialloc by 2026. When announcing the removals earlier this year, Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson said “fast-tracking the removal of the dangerous and congested level crossings in Mordialloc is a gamechanger for the area” (“Frankston line sky rail works brought forward, The News, 20/6/23). Kingston Council has been running its own consultation process to decide what it will ask of the state

government. Its first round of consultation had 855 submissions - residents voiced a desire for improved pedestrian and cycling connectivity, safety measures, and green spaces, council says.

Kingston mayor Hadi Saab said “through our consultation, we’ve gained an even clearer picture of what the community values about Mordialloc and their hopes for the project. This invaluable feedback, combined with the known non-negotiables from the LXRP has enabled us to settle on some key design elements that we know would bring great benefits as the project moves forward.”

“Our community is very engaged with this project and with us. This gives us a great platform to continue to speak up on their behalf to get the

best possible outcome for Mordialloc,” Saab said. “This isn’t a new process for us in Kingston - to represent our community while collaborating with the LXRP. We have been able to influence and achieve much-improved design outcomes that better reflected the needs of our local communities in Cheltenham, Mentone and Chelsea and we want that for Mordialloc and Aspendale too.”

Kingston Council will undertake further consultation in October before it finalises an “urban design framework” to send to the state government.

The state government is expected to release its draft designs and undertake its next round of community consultation later this year. For more information on the project visit engage.vic.gov.au/lxrp-mordialloc-and-aspendale