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Broadmeadows railway station upgrade

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Media Release
Wednesday 10 May, 2017

The Broadmeadows Railway Station will undergo a much needed makeover to make it easier and safer for people to use public transport and to cross the busy Pascoe Vale Road with the release of new works packages by the Victorian State Government today.

Member for Broadmeadows, Frank McGuire announced $4 million in State Government funding to improve access and amenity at the station, with a new northern entrance, concourse and toilets, and pedestrian subway upgrade.

Safety improvements will also be made at the Pascoe Vale and Dimboola Road intersection, which is a key access point to the station precinct, and at a new northern entry to the Broadmeadows Railway Station.

Victorian transport land, assets and infrastructure owner VicTrack is delivering the program on behalf of the Victorian Government.
The infrastructure improvements is part of the $14.3 million package for the revitalisation of the Broadmeadows Metropolitan Activity Centre funded by the State Government in the 2016/17 budget.

For more information, visit https://www.victrack.com.au/broadmeadows

Quotes attributable to Member for Broadmeadows, Frank McGuire
“Ensuring commuters and pedestrians can get access to public transport safely and easily is one of my key priorities.”

“Creating ramps, upgrading existing toilets, and installing safer pedestrian access will mean passengers will be able to access the public transport they need.”

“Improvements to traffic management in this area will ensure road users and pedestrians are safer when crossing this busy intersection.”

Click here for Media release

Big investments in health, jobs and safety

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The Andrews Labor Government is investing $163 million to redevelop the Northern Hospital, critical to the care of the people in Broadmeadows, local MP Frank McGuire said today.

“This is a great result and supports my advocacy for increased hospital and health care outlined last year in my strategy Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope,” Mr. McGuire said. “The commitment in this year’s budget adds to the Labor Government’s investment of almost $20 million for a surgery expected to open within weeks in Broadmeadows.”

The major boost to health services is a highlight of the 2016-17 Victorian Budget along with record funding for frontline police to improve public safety, more money for schools to increase opportunity and a commitment to the “missing link” in the road system for Melbourne’s North that will create more than 5,000 new jobs.

“These investments are designed to improve health and education, increase public safety and deliver more jobs,” Mr McGuire said.

The northern suburbs will receive a significant allocation of Victoria’s 300 new frontline police officers funded in this year’s Budget.

“The removal of the level crossing at Camp Road Broadmeadows is expected to begin this year and will provide an estimated 300-400 jobs, which I am trying to maximise for local people,” Mr McGuire said.

The budget also provides the first $100 million for the North East Link – every dollar needed to complete critical design, planning, and preconstruction works before contracts are signed in 2019.

“This is the highest priority infrastructure project for our state, according to the independent authority, Infrastructure Victoria and builds on the Labor Government’s record investment in roads and rail throughout Victoria,” Mr McGuire said.

Funding has also been allocated in this year’s State Budget to improve bus services in Melbourne’s growing suburbs including Broadmeadows.  Later this year, the government will consult with the local community to identify the best options to improve bus services in the area.

Mr McGuire said other budget highlights for Broadmeadows include upgrades to schools and road infrastructure:

  • $402,000 to upgrade Campbellfield Heights Primary School;
  • $352,000 to upgrade Fawkner Primary School; and
  • $56,000 to upgrade Pascoe Vale Road/Dimboola Road Broadmeadows.

$163 million investment in Northern Hospital

Camp Road level crossing to be removed creating 300 – 400 jobs.

$352,000 upgrade for Fawkner Primary School.

Broadmeadows students take their hopes to Parliament.

Click here for the Media Release

Hume schoolchildren remember the WWI recapture of French village by Australian soldiers

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Kiel Egging, Hume Leader
April 24, 2017 4:00pm

William, centre, singing the National Anthem with Broadmeadows state Labor MP Frank McGuire and brother Eddie in background at the Side By Side service at Maygar Barracks in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

William, centre, singing the National Anthem with Broadmeadows state Labor MP Frank McGuire and brother Eddie in background at the Side By Side service at Maygar Barracks in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

HUME schoolchildren have paid their respects at a training ground for the nation’s World War I soldiers in the lead up to Anzac Day.

Around 300 schoolchildren attended Broadmeadows Labor MP Frank McGuire’s annual Side By Side service at the Maygar Barracks on Thursday.
The service has been previously held at local primary schools but was held at the barracks for the first time this year.

The heritage site is where diggers, light horsemen and Victoria Cross winners were trained and dispatched to fight during World War I.
This year’s service focused on the significance of the battle at the French town of Villers-Bretonneux, which was captured by the Imperial German Army on April 24, 1918.

A view of the Australian National Memorial site, near the town of Villers-Bretonneux in Northern France. Picture: David Dyson

But the town was recaptured by two brigades of the First Australian Imperial Force later that night and the following day, with around 1200 Australian soldiers dying in the battle.

Mr McGuire’s brother, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell and representatives from the French Government, the local Turkish community, army and Glenroy RSL members all attended the event.

Wreathes were laid and schoolchildren displayed posters they had designed showcasing their interpretation of the battle of Villers-Bretonneux.

The posters will now be sent to schoolchildren in Villers-Bretonneux to commemorate mateship in the lead-up to next year’s centenary of the battle.

Frank McGuire said the service was “bigger than anything we have done in the past” and gave children a greater understanding of the battle and the soldiers’ values.
“They can see where they (soliders) were trained, but better than that, they got to understand that war is horrendous, but there can still be humanity, and that’s what Gallipoli showed us.”

Click here to read on source site

 

Victorian Planning Authority endorses big picture vision for “Postcodes of Hope”

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Broadmeadows MP, Frank McGuire, today welcomed the State Government’s endorsement of his big picture vision, “Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope”. “The Victorian Planning Authority has released its strategy for Greater Broadmeadows, which echoes many of the strategic aims and the vision I called for in the Postcodes of Hope plan I launched last year,” Mr McGuire said.

“Postcodes of Hope highlighted the assets and opportunities Broadmeadows offers for affordable housing, new industries and jobs and its blue chip infrastructure close to the heart of the world’s most liveable city,” Mr McGuire said.

The Victorian Planning Authority supports my strategy declaring: “Greater Broadmeadows will become the powerhouse of Melbourne’s north. Catalyst investments and actions will unlock development potential for growth in local employment and for diversified housing.”

Greater Broadmeadows is located at the gateway to the northern growth corridor of Melbourne, 15 kilometres and a 30 minute train ride from Melbourne’s CBD. The area features strong strategic transport connections – 8 km from the Melbourne International and Essendon Airports, adjacent to the M80 freeway, serviced by both the metropolitan and regional rail networks.

The Greater Broadmeadows urban renewal area comprises more than 1300 hectares of land including the Broadmeadows Town Centre, the Yuroke Creek corridor to the west, Western Ring Road to the south, Sydney Road to the east and Barry Road to the north.

Hume City Council is working with the Victorian Planning Authority to prepare the Greater Broadmeadows Framework Plan that will:
*  Guide land use planning and development in Greater Broadmeadows;

*  Define the key projects and infrastructure required to support sustainable growth and development;

*  Provide an improved and more certain environment for public and private sector investment to drive urban renewal and diversification in the area; and

*  Support delivery of new housing and employment opportunities and address the constraints that currently impede Melbourne.

The Greater Broadmeadows Framework Plan will guide investment and urban renewal to unlock the potential and support the revitalisation of the Broadmeadows Metropolitan Activity Centre.

The framework plan identifies five strategic outcome areas to unlock the potential for redevelopment within Greater Broadmeadows. The five strategic outcome areas are:
A.  Broadmeadows Town Centre
B.  Meadowlink
C.  Maygar Barracks
D.  Campbellfield
E.  Upfield Ford Site

This plan includes actions for each strategic outcome area that:
*  Identifies and provides cost investments for key transport infrastructure required to support better connections within the Greater Broadmeadows urban renewal area.

*  Identifies existing social and community infrastructure and examines the demands of future population in the Greater Broadmeadows area.

*  Promotes opportunities for affordable housing.

*  Improves the public realm and green local places and connections.

The Greater Broadmeadows Framework Plan will be exhibited for public comment in the coming months. Take a look at the ways in which we are responding to these challenges online at:
> www.vpa.vic.gov.au/project/greater-broadmeadows
> www.hume.vic.gov.au/yoursay
> Telephone: 9205 2879
> Write to: Community & Activity Centre Planning Dep’t, PO Box 119, Dallas, 3047

SIDE BY SIDE ANZAC DAY 2017

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Friday 21 April 2017

Broadmeadows MP Frank McGuire held his Side by Side ANZAC Day ceremony for the first time at the Maygar Barracks in Broadmeadows where the Diggers, Light Horsemen and Victoria Cross winners were trained and dispatched to fight at Gallipoli and the Western Front.

“This year we not only honoured the Diggers who fought at Gallipoli but also highlighted Australia’s liberation of the French town of Villers-Bretonneux, hailed as one of the greatest individual feats of the World War 1.”

Hundreds of local school children gathered at the Maygar Barracks in Camp Road Broadmeadows to commemorate the ANZAC values of courage, duty and mateship.

“It is important for our school children to know and understand Australian history and local heritage,” Mr McGuire said.

“This is particularly important for a community which has evolved into virtually a united nation in one neighbourhood,” he said.

Students learned the history of the ANZACs and their connection to the Maygar Barracks.  They also heard how the local school at Villers-Bretonneux was rebuilt using donations from Victorian school children and above every blackboard is the inscription: “Let us never forget Australia.”

Students joined in laying a wreath on behalf of the Broadmeadows community at the army camp’s lone pine and sung the national anthem.

Representatives from the French Government, the Turkish Community, the Australian Army, the RSL, Collingwood FC President Eddie McGuire, Essendon FC CEO Xavier Campbell and local footy officials joined the students and their teachers.

Following the formalities, students took part in a football clinic and inspected Army vehicles.

Mr McGuire thanked Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel, Wes Snipe and Warrant Officer, Sean Smith and the 4th Combat Service Support Battalion for making this an important community event.

The success of the day was summed up by the Principal of St Mark’s School Fawkner, Mr Peter Wilson who wrote:

Just a short note to thank you and your team for the wonderful experience you provided our students today at Maygar Barracks. All of the speakers were excellent and were very inclusive of the students in the way they presented. We were made to feel very welcome by the staff of Maygar Barracks.
There was a real sense of community. It was lovely to witness children who were born in many different countries come together to commemorate the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux and ANZAC Day and give thanks to those brave people who sacrificed so much to enable us to live in, as Eddie and Frank’s father called us “the land of opportunity.”