Moonee Ponds: Puckle St/Holmes Rd and Park St level crossings not ‘high need’

For years, a local council has pushed for the removal of two prominent level crossings in Melbourne’s inner north. But a new report has put a hole in the campaign.

Two prominent Moonee Ponds level crossings are unlikely to be removed — despite council support for their replacement — after they were discovered to not be “high need”.

While Moonee Valley City Council has long advocated for the level crossings at Puckle St/Holmes Rd and Park St to be removed, an independent investigation found they were not high need and were unlikely to be funded.

The investigation found two crossings did not meet the “critical traffic volume thresholds” and “may require significant land acquisition” if a level crossing removal was performed.

Cr Narelle Sharpe previously raised concerns about what a level crossing removal could mean for businesses on Puckle St.

“If we were to close Puckle St and go road under, similar to Essendon, a number of shops would have to be compulsory acquired in pretty much the heartland of Moonee Valley (and) would have to be demolished,” she said in September.

“If that wasn’t the scenario, you’d have sky rail and again shops would most likely need to be compulsory acquired and demolished.

“How the state government is going to achieve (the level crossing removals) without decimating Moonee Ponds?”

The two crossings do not meet the “adverse economic impact” threshold and have had no serious injuries in the past five years, the report found.

Buckley Street Essendon level crossing removal

The council did advocate for the two crossings to be removed alongside the Buckley St removal which went ahead five years ago.

The Buckley St level crossing — which the state government regarded as one of the worst in the state — was removed in 2018 but not without controversy.

The 52-day construction blitz saw traders left begging for people to return to the nearby shopping precinct after the Buckley St level crossing removal was completed.

One trader told the Herald Sun they had lost almost $200,000 due to the level crossing removal as residents and tourists avoided the area.

Essendon residents took to the streets and dressed up several gums in bright fabric as a peaceful protest against the state government’s decision to dig a road-under-rail trench.

The council will continue to advocate to Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan and Essendon state Labor MP Danny Pearson for the removal of the crossings if the motion gets approved.

The motion will be discussed further on Thursday, April 27.