Rail crossing cash ticks the right boxes in crucial seats

Josh Frydenberg will pump $260m into a rail upgrade that could prove crucial to Liberal fortunes in key Melbourne seats.

Josh Frydenberg with Cities Minister Alan Tudge and Higgins candidate Katie Allen. Picture: AAP

Josh Frydenberg has promised to pump $260 million into a rail upgrade that could prove crucial to the fortunes of the Liberal Party in the besieged seats of Higgins and Kooyong.

The Treasurer yesterday announced the Coalition would ­invest the cash to remove the Glenferrie Road level crossing in the suburb of Kooyong, which is inside the Liberal seat of Higgins but also serves his seat of ­Kooyong.

The crossing is a notorious ­bottleneck that most immediately affects the pursuit of well-heeled sports people in the form of the Kooyong Tennis Club, with patrons having to fight relentless traffic blockages.

In what is a blue chip Melbourne location, the crossing also directly affects access to St Kevin’s College in Toorak and feeds into access to Scotch College, which is about 500m up the road.

St Kevin’s has its own train stop but hundreds of Scotch children use the crossing each day, adding to the road and rail hazards.

It is widely accepted in the community that the level crossing needs to be removed for safety and congestion-busting reasons, but Victorian Labor has shown deeply limited interest in it, despite having won the nearby state seat of Hawthorn late last year.

The upgraded level crossing. Picture: Supplied

The Andrews government has spent billions on fixing railway crossings elsewhere across Melbourne and the program is being seen as a key reason for its elect­oral popularity.

Mr Frydenberg said the state government had failed to make the Glenferrie Road crossing safe, despite it being listed as one of 20 high priority level crossings in a 2013 VicRoads study.

If the Coalition wins, the rail line would be shifted underground, he said.

“Few intersections remain with level crossings where trains, trams and vehicles intersect,’’ Mr Frydenberg said.

‘‘There are 24 trains in morning peak hour between 7am and 9am resulting in the boom gate being closed for almost a third of the morning, causing significant ­delays for more than 2000 cars and trams.

“By putting the rail under the road, as was done for the Burke Road level crossing, it will reduce the impact on local businesses, sporting clubs and residents.

“In this context, we think it is important that the Andrews government reconsiders its position on the Toorak Road level crossing and puts it underground, which would improve benefits to the local community.’’

Mr Frydenberg also has promised to provide $10m to fund ­business cases for the removal of two other level rail crossings in the area.

With Labor leading in the polls, it is quite possible that nothing will happen after the election, but the Liberals are desperate to save Higgins (10.1 per cent) and Kooyong (12.8 per cent).

Mr Frydenberg also announ­ced last week that a rundown park in suburban Hawthorn would ­receive an $8m funding commitment from the Coalition.

Fritsch Holzer Park’s facilities will be renovated for the nearby Swinburne Senior Secondary College and residents.

Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said: “Scott Morrison’s 11th-hour level crossing promise is a desperate stunt that exposes how worried the federal Liberals are about the seats of Kooyong and Higgins.

“They have had six years to get this done and they’ve ignored it — instead spending millions of Victorian taxpayers’ money on massive transport projects in Sydney,’’ Ms Allen said.