The organiser of the petition requesting a train station for Mt Atkinson has said that it has brought the community “very close.”
Manish Baisoya, who led the petition, said it had united the residents of the estate.
“Whatever the outcome, we as a community came together to work on a common cause,” he said.
The petition, which received more than 5000 signatures, was tabled in state Parliament last week on August 13 by Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch.
Ms Grigorovitch, who was a staunch supporter and sponsor of the petition, said it was an honour to be involved in the grassroots campaign.
“I’m proud to stand side-by-side with my community in advocating for the need for a train station to be built in Mt Atkinson,” she said.
While the petition was accepted, it does not mean the station is guaranteed but it is more likely to be considered than before.
The rapid growth of the Melton area has exposed a lack of transport options and highlighted a need for increased services, Ms Grigorovitch said .
“We need better and more frequent public transport in our fastest growing suburbs to keep the community connected so they can easily travel wherever they need to go.”
Mr Baisoya said they would not have got to where they were without Ms Grigorovitch.
“She has been very committed and her staff have been very helpful… we have received really good support from them,” he said.
The lengthy efforts to raise awareness felt “like a marathon,” Mr Baisoya said.
“The last three months… we have spent promoting it, handing out flyers at other train stations and talking to people at shopping centres.”
Mr Baisoya said the diverse range of talent in Mt Atkinson was harnessed for the campaign.
“Our community is full of smart people – they all have different skills and we have utilised that from analytics to design and marketing,” he said.
From here, locals will hold their breath to see if it is ‘next stop: Mt Atkinson’.
“I think we have made our mark – people know about us and our need so hopefully we can get something out of it,” Mr Baisoya said.
The petition also received a letter of support from the Sri Durga temple, Shri Swaminarayan temple, Rabita Centre and Buddhist Vihara, which are all located in Deanside and Rockbank.
Eddie Russell
