Residents blindsided over Highett Road and Wickham Road proposal pushed back to 2032
Locals living near a dangerous level crossing in Melbourne’s south-east say they were caught off guard by the state government’s decision to quietly delay much-needed removal work for three years.
Highett residents have long been promised that the level crossings on Highett Road and Wickham Road would be removed by 2029. But a sentence in this month’s state budget documents announced that won’t happen until mid-2032.
Local resident and president of the Highett Progress Association, Doug Klein, was surprised and disappointed when he heard of the decision.
“We have been told over and over again [it would be] 2029… So it was a bit of a shock,” Klein said. “Highett is going to be one of the areas where there’s going to be a huge increase in housing and density… we’re carrying more than our fair share.”
The state government had previously announced that all level crossings on the Frankston line serving Highett station would be removed by 2029. Following the brief budget announcement, the Big Build website and public signage were updated to reflect the revised completion date.
“Government cost deferral was prioritized over Indigenous safety and liveability,” Klein said of the revised date.
However, he said that the crossings must be closed as soon as possible due to serious security and traffic problems, and that this situation is worsened by frequent and long-term closing of barriers.
“[It] “It causes frustration and people do stupid things,” he said. “They take risks… [A friend] “I saw someone running in front of a train on the railway tracks on Highett Road yesterday because they were angry.”
The state government’s 2026-27 budget papers said the three-year delay would “improve construction efficiency” and “minimise disruption for Frankston line passengers”.
A Victorian Department of Transport and Planning spokesman said the decision to delay the removal of the level crossing would enable work on the nearby Suburban Rail Loop to be carried out at a similar time.
“Aligning Highett Road and Wickham Road level crossing removals with major works for the Suburban Rail Loop in Cheltenham will reduce costs, minimize disruption for passengers, motorists and local businesses and avoid disrupting the same communities twice,” they said.
According to Klein, this logic does not make sense. “The two projects are next to each other, but they don’t actually overlap. It’s not like the lines are connecting… they’re just in the same neighborhood.”
Bayside City Council mayor Debbie Taylor-Haynes said the decision to postpone essential works was disappointing.
“Not only does this delay prolong the significant traffic congestion and safety risks our community faces, it was announced without any meaningful consultation or communication with the council or residents, a pattern echoed in recent major planning decisions,” Taylor-Haynes said.
“We strongly urge the government to use this opportunity to develop a truly comprehensive rail solution that addresses pressing issues such as congestion, safety, noise and the need for open space.”
While residents and the municipality want the removal of the crossings to be prioritized, nearby businesses offer a different perspective.
Steve Kingi, owner of Hawker Bar and Typhoon Vietnamese restaurant near Highett station, said extending the start of road closures and construction would support restaurants still struggling with the effects of Covid-19 lockdown periods.
“All businesses need a little more time to recover and prepare for an outage,” Kingi said. “No support for business” [during construction]you just have to grin and bear it.
The provincial budget also announced that the removal of grade crossings on Latrobe Street in Mentone will be delayed until mid-2032. But unlike Highett residents, this community has long called for the removal to be canceled.
Cheltenham resident Jenny, who did not want to give her surname, said she was happy to hear of the three-year delay and believed closing Latrobe Street would worsen existing traffic problems in the area.
“Traffic flow has been terrible since the level crossings were removed,” he said. “This is everyone’s problem in society.”
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