Parliament of Victoria | Legislative Council | Constituency Questions
3 March 2026
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan Region):
My constituency question is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. Minister, commuters and residents are reporting unsafe parking practices amid a shortage of car parks at the Watergardens station.
With car parks routinely full by 7 am, many park illegally on the area of grassland between Watergardens shopping centre and the recently opened southern car park.
But more car parks alone will not fix the problem. While the new Metro timetable has significantly increased the number of weekly services for Watergardens station, the lack of integrated bus networks and active transport options to get there remains.
My constituent asks: what steps will the government take to address unsafe parking around Watergardens, and will it consider working with Brimbank council and Watergardens shopping centre to deliver safer active transport infrastructure and better bus connectivity?
Written Answer
Received: 23 June 2026
Hon. Gabrielle Williams MP
(Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for Public and Active Transport, Minister for Women and Girls)
I thank the Member for Western Metropolitan Region for his question.
It is a priority for the Allan Labor Government that people can easily and safely access public transport services, including getting to their local train station.
More than 21,000 new and upgraded station car parks have been delivered under the Allan Labor Government’s landmark Car Parks for Commuters program, making it easier and safer for passengers to catch metropolitan and regional rail services in Victoria.
At Watergardens Station, 580 new and upgraded car parks have been delivered since 2022. The project also delivered 70 new bike parking spaces, and improvements to lighting and CCTV.
This supports passengers at Watergardens Station to make the most of the more than 1,200 new train services delivered to the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham Lines as part of the Metro Tunnel Big Switch timetable on 1 February.
The Allan Labor Government recognises the important role buses play in meeting the travel needs of people living in Melbourne’s growing suburbs. Buses are a vital part of Victoria’s integrated transport system, with around 400 regular bus routes servicing metropolitan Melbourne, and local bus networks operating in regional towns and cities.
This is why we have invested more than $990 million into new and upgraded bus services, adding more than 24,000 extra bus services to our network. This includes our investment in the 2026/27 Victorian Budget of almost $100 million towards new and improved bus services, including expanded bus hours and weekend services, new and upgraded routes in growing suburbs, and more services for routes connecting to universities. This builds on the $162 million invested in the 2025/26 Victorian Budget and the $180 million invested in the 2024/25 Victorian Budget.
I am pleased to advise that this government’s investments in bus uplifts include funding for more bus services to Watergardens Station. This includes extended routes connecting more residents across Aintree, Deanside, and Frasers Rise to Watergardens Station, and more frequent services for Route 476 travelling between Watergardens Station and Moonee Ponds. Work to deliver these new bus services is currently underway.
In the 2025/26 Victorian Budget, we also invested in a $19.8 million active transport package – including new shared-use paths to Watergardens Station.
I acknowledge the advocacy of the Member for Sydenham for many of these improvements, which are improving train, bus and active transport connections across the community.
Once more, I thank the member for his question.
[ENDS]
