Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (16:41): My adjournment today is directed to the Minister for Public Transport, Minister Horne. I would like to invite the minister to visit Box Hill interchange with me one peak-hour morning and witness the extreme overcrowding at peak hour and take the opportunity to share information with the local council and stakeholders on the transport needs in the area. They and I are particularly interested in how plans for the Suburban Rail Loop and the north-east link will impact the already oversubscribed Box Hill transport hub.
Box Hill is a booming suburb and is becoming a second CBD. It is a hub of health services, education and government departments. It is also an area of intense development, with VCAT overriding council repeatedly to allow high-rise apartment buildings. One in particular will be 20 storeys high. At present there are over 170 000 residents in this small area of my electorate, and the population is growing fast. The proposed Suburban Rail Loop will have major consequences, as initial plans show it will link into the main Lilydale-Belgrave line at Box Hill. The new north-east link also promises more traffic and flow through this bustling area, so I invite the minister to take this opportunity to bring local stakeholders up to date with future plans for this dated and busy interchange at Box Hill.
