Hallam Road double trouble

By Bridget Brady
LABOR MP Judith Graley says she is committed to duplicating Hallam Road, despite an opposition MP’s claim that the government has ruled it out for now.
Ms Graley, the Member for Narre Warren South, says Liberal MP Inga Peulich should “hang her head in shame” for using such a serious issue for political gain. It was wrong to suggest the duplication had been ruled out, she said.
“I remain personally committed to duplicating Hallam Road and am working within the government to make sure that this happens,” Ms Graley said.
“I have been meeting with the minister, VicRoads and the community to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency.”
Community cries to duplicate the busy road in the Hampton Park area intensified after two fatal car smashes in two weeks at the intersection of Hallam and Ormond roads in Lynbrook this year.
The State Government has installed interim traffic lights at the intersection and lowered the speed limit on Hallam Road, but there is no plan at this stage to duplicate the road.
Ms Peulich (South Eastern Metropolitan) said the State Government did not consider the duplication urgent, given the strong community support for the upgrade.
“It is clearly a case of a loud community cry falling on the deaf ears of Minister (Tim) Pallas and local MPs,” Ms Peulich said.
Ms Peulich this month reiterated her call on the State Government to duplicate Hallam Road.
“They were two accidents that broke the heart of the community and stirred anger about the neglect by the State Government of this road, which has been on the books for duplication for some time,” she said.
Local Labor MPs had failed to respond to the huge community cry, Ms Peulich said.
But Ms Graley said Ms Peulich should “come clean” about what the Liberal Party would do to save lives on roads.
“The Liberal Party have no policy on road safety, except to undermine proven methods such as speed cameras that reduce the state’s road toll,” she said.