St Albans: Council seeks lift for disabled at Main Road station

Brimbank council will pressure the state government to include a disabled access lift at the new train station to be built under Main Road in St Albans.

Following pressure applied by St Albans residents, the council is urgently seeking a meeting with VicRoads to discuss the lift issue as part of the long-awaited project.

St Albans Community Resource Action Group, which has been pushing for a lift, will this week give the council its findings from a community forum attended by more than 70 residents in late July.

Brimbank council’s acting infrastructure and environment director, Adrian Gray, said the scope of the $200 million project would be discussed in a pending meeting with VicRoads.

“Council hopes to ensure the community is engaged during the design and construction process and that lifts are part of the project’s scope,” Mr Gray said.

“Also … [there’ll be] further investigation of bus routes and bus stop requirements and levels, to deliver a single consolidated bus interchange close to the station.”

VicRoads has held three urban design workshops in the past three months, with Brimbank council endorsing its urban design response at last Tuesday’s council meeting.

“The new station at Main Road will be Disability Discrimination Act-compliant with access via stairs and ramps,” eastern projects director Frank De Santis said.

“Provision for lifts . . . will be installed as part of the project.”

In July this year, State Planning Minister Matthew Guy announced plans to fast-track the project, with work starting at the end of this year and finishing in 2017.