Tara Murray
The lack of a new bus interchange and the omitting of a crucial bike path are two of the concerns Brimbank council has with the initial concept design for the new Deer Park train station.
The new station will be built as part of the Mt Derrimut Road level crossing removal project, which has been brought forward to this year.
The concept designs were put out for community consultation, which finished on May 7.
A council document, tabled at the meeting, said the initial concept design appears to be lacking certain elements expected from a project of this scale and potentially exacerbates pre-existing issues.
It said community response indicates interest in the provision of a bicycle path along the rail corridor, as well as concerns about upgrades to the Station Road / Tilburn Road intersection and the size, location and access arrangements for car parking.
Councillor Victoria Borg highlighted that there were no plans for a bus interchange as part of the station.
Currently, the bus stop serving Deer Park station is located on Tilburn Road, approximately 250 metres east of the station entrance, requiring commuters to walk three to four minutes to change transport modes.
Cr Sarah Branton said she saw people crossing Station Road trying to catch buses daily.
She said it was disappointing that a new bus interchange wasn’t included in the designs.
Cr Borg also raised concern about the current design not delivering a shared user path along the rail corridor.
The council report said this was despite previous assurances that the project would deliver on the Department of Transport’s strategic cycling corridor along the Deer Park rail.
The council report also provided updates on the Robinsons Road and Fitzgerald Road level crossings.
The report said the council would continue to advocate to the Level Crossing Removal Authority to address concerns about the Fitzgerald Road crossing.
