MEMBER for Northern Victoria Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell has used the last parliamentary sitting week for 2025 to urge the State Government to commit $3.1M to complete rail safety improvements in Avenel.
Tyrrell said Avenel’s residential growth, particularly in new developments to the west and north-west, meant more people were now forced to cross the rail line daily to reach essential services.
“More concerning is that young students have to cross the railway line to get to school each day, and the current infrastructure is not safe,” she said.
Ms Tyrrell highlighted a near-miss incident in April, when a freight train struck a bicycle being pushed across Bank Street pedestrian crossing by a 10-year-old girl. She said the incident, which narrowly avoided tragedy, underscored the need for auto-locking pedestrian gates at the site.
Additional works proposed include upgrades to pedestrian access at the Ewings Road crossing and improvements to the ageing Avenel Railway Station carpark.
Ms Tyrrell recently attended a protest rally in Avenel alongside residents, Strathbogie Shire Council representatives and local community group Avenel Active, who have all been advocating for immediate safety improvements.
“As I said at the protest, Avenel is a great, active community and I promised them that I would seek a funding commitment from the Minister for Public and Active Transport, Gabrielle Williams, to complete these crucial upgrades urgently,” she said.
“The Avenel community aren’t asking for much in the grand scheme of things. These upgrades will greatly improve the safety of local residents, and I call on the Minister to commit the $3.1 million to make the upgrades a reality.”
