Sunday service funded in the State Budget for the 536 bus route from Glenroy station to Gowrie Station. This is an important advocacy win for Climate Action Merribek.

But mixed progress on other transport items for Merri-bek in this budget.

• Some service improvement on the Upfield and Craigieburn lines, but the 70% increase in capacity promise still not met.
• No funding to address safety on the Murray Road accident blackspot.
• The Upfield Bike Path extension funded in 2018 still not delivered.

We note with concern a cut in environment services funding from $1.35 billion to $1.09 billion, more than any other area. “The most significant decrease in funding is for policies around environmental protection, which is projected to decline by nearly 20 per cent in a year.“, according to ABC News Budget analysis.

Environment Victoria commented that “Victorian state budget includes some positive steps for the energy transition already well underway including new money for efficient electric hot water and home insulation, but insufficient funding for nature restoration or to protect threatened species.“

Friends of the Earth argue that Climate, environment largely missing from Victorian budget with Adaptation excluded from budget – Victorians will pay the price.

536 Sunday Bus service funded

At the recent Glenroy Festival on Sunday 4 May we surveyed people on better public transport for Hadfield and Glenroy, including a seven day 536 bus service, linking up with the 7 day service on 536 bus campaign. This followed a Safe, Sustainable Transport survey at the Glenroy Festival in 2024.

Residents were particularly concerned about poor bus services, including NO Sunday service on the 536 bus (which goes from Glenroy Station to Gowrie Station).

Broadmeadows MP Kathleen Matthews-Ward made the following statement on 14 May in the adjournment speeches:

My adjournment is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to fund additional bus services in my electorate, particularly on route 536. Transport equity has always been a priority for me, and I have advocated tirelessly over many years for improvements to public transport and to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Bus services are particularly important for the many in my community who are not able to drive or afford a car. The electorate of Broadmeadows has the highest level of disability in the state, one of the lowest levels of car ownership and high levels of disadvantage.

We also have lots of new arrivals, many shift workers, including those from female-dominated industries like health and aged care, and whenever I jump on a bus I always see lots of older people and of course children. So many local people rely on public transport to get around, to participate in community life, to access education and employment, to do their shopping and to access opportunities for social connection. I thank Andrea Bunting and community members who have contacted me about the need for more services on route 536, and I thank the minister for her strong advocacy for public and active transport.

Some Service Improvement on Upfield and Craigieburn lines

The budget also delivered some minimal increased service on the Upfield and Craigieburn lines. Extra shoulder peak trains for Craigieburn line. The 20 minute service frequency on the Upfield Line and Craigieburn line has been extended to late night and weekend service. This is to be welcomed.

But for the Upfield Line this falls far short of the 70 percent increase in capacity on the Upfield Line that was promised by the Premier Jacinta Allan when she was transport minister in 2018. Pascoe Vale MP Anthony Cianflone also promised in 2022 a 71 per cent increase in capacity when Metro Tunnel opened. Read more at Upfield Transport Alliance: Metro tunnel enables Turn up and go trains… just not for the Upfield line.

The budget will also deliver free public transport 7 days a week across Victoria for all passengers under 18 years old, from 1 January 2026. Also, Seniors (65 and over) will be able to travel free on weekends.

In terms of duplication and extension of the Upfield line there was nothing in the budget. Although we note a cross party motion put forward on 15 May 2025 by Greens MP Anasina Gray-Barberio in the Legislative Council received both Liberal and Labor support for the Government to produce the Somerton Link Report that was financially aquitted for $5 million in the 2016 budget. (Hansard 15 May 2025 PDF) This is important to inform the $7 million Scoping report on upgrading and extending the Upfield line as promised to be Federally funded by Wills Federal MP Peter Khalil during the Federal Election.

The Brunswick Level Crossing removals – 8 crossings and 2 new stations – are not mentioned in the 2025/26 budget papers, but are assumed to be part of the 25 level crossing removals with a budget of $6.4 billion for removal by 2030.

Murray Road Blackspot not addressed in Budget

The Murray Road accident blackspot, with some 11 vehicle crashes so far this year, has not been addressed in the budget.

Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd advocacy group stated “Nothing for (four lane) Murray Rd in the state budget but the danger persists, and so will we! Reverting Murray Rd to one lane each way is our key request. The ‘Towards Safer and More Liveable Urban Streets’ discussion paper by Engineers Australia and Transport Australia Society supports the thinking behind our demand.”

Upfield Bike Path extension (2018 budget)

We note that no work has been done on Stage 2 for the Upfield Bike Path extension from Box Forest Road to the Western Ring Road Trail. This was funded in the State budget in 2018, 7 long years ago. What was needed? a mere 1.34 km shared use cycle path in the Upfield rail easement past Gowrie Station to link to the Western Ring Road Trail that runs east-west beside the M80 ring road.

The current VicRoads project page says that “works expected to commence in 2024”. Hello, its May 2025!

VicRoads also proposes to do this on the cheap by turning Sages Road into a shared use zone for cycling. Even though Sages Road is a bus route (Yes the 536 bus route as detailed above) and with trucks doing delivery and pickups from the factories along Sages Road, with forklifts loading and unloading using the road. This is not a safe alternative to Sydney Road for walking and cycling. It needs a purpose built shared use path.

The current Premier Jacinta Allan, when she was Transport Minister in 2018, promised in a letter to a constituent that “The current path will also be extended, providing an off-road alternative to Sydney Road all the way from the Western Ring Road to Princes Park.“

We expect her to live up to that commitment.

References:

20 May 2025 – Friends of the Earth Melbourne – Climate, environment largely missing from Victorian budget https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/state_budget_2025

20 May 2025 – Friends of the Earth Melbourne – Adaptation excluded from budget – Victorians will pay the price https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/25-26_budget_adaptation

20 May 2025 – Environment Victoria – Encouraging news for renewable energy but insufficient funding for threatened species and parks in Victorian 2025 budget https://environmentvictoria.org.au/2025/05/20/encouraging-news-for-renewable-energy-but-insufficient-funding-for-threatened-species-and-parks-in-victorian-2025-budget/

20 May 2025 – Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd commentary on no funding to address Murray Road blackspot https://www.facebook.com/SaferMurrayRd/posts/pfbid02ivuhYwzDTsx3jUTrJtj7mEahwcrQwaj8SXwnhozNxLzQTiRKCjLZgAFtyYk6mzHql

20 May 2025 – Kathleen Matthews Ward FB post on 536 bus route plus other budgeted improvements in Merri-bek’s north https://www.facebook.com/kathleenmatthewsward/posts/pfbid02MxrWb1NeE94qMm2SRyFUxrRBH4ETYHc11hNdZAm7ynXiUrR62s6AB5Sw5scEAzWml

15 May 2025 – Motion by Anasina Gray-Barberio and Debate on Upgrade to Upfield Line – Hansard https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/49a6d9/globalassets/hansard-daily-pdfs/hansard-974425065-30795/hansard-974425065-30795.pdf

14 May 2025 – Kathleen Matthews Ward adjournment speech to parliament on bus services https://www.facebook.com/reel/1063930722456355

13 May 2025 – Upfield Transport Alliance – Metro tunnel enables Turn up and go trains… just not for the Upfield line https://upfieldtransportalliance.org/2025/05/13/turn-up-and-go-trains-just-not-for-the-upfield-line/

8 May 2025 – CAMerribek – Glenroy and Hadfield demand better public transport https://climateactionmerribek.org/2025/05/08/glenroy-and-hadfield-demand-better-public-transport/

2 November 2018 – Transport Minister fails to answer questions on #Upfieldline upgrade https://upfieldbikepath.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/transport-minister-fails-to-answer-questions-on-upfieldline-upgrade-vicvotes/

17 May 2025 – State Budget Papers https://www.budget.vic.gov.au/budget-202526