Practical transport that works for everyone.

Every day, people across Box Hill, Blackburn, Mont Albert, Surrey Hills and our surrounding neighbourhoods are trying to do the same simple things — get to work, take their children to school, visit family, attend medical appointments, support local businesses or simply get home safely.

For many people, those everyday journeys have become more difficult than they should be.

Whether it's sitting in traffic, waiting for an unreliable bus, struggling to cross busy roads safely or finding that different parts of our transport network don't connect well together, these frustrations add up. They cost us time, increase stress and affect our quality of life.

If Box Hill is going to grow, the infrastructure must grow with it.

I support well-planned housing and I welcome the people who choose to make their home here. But more homes and more residents have to be matched by the transport, open space and community infrastructure that make daily life work. Growth isn't the problem — growth without adequate planning and infrastructure is.

That's the same principle behind my Accountable Development & Integrity plan.

Good transport isn't just about moving people from one place to another. It's about connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare, family, local businesses and each other.

As your Independent representative, I'll focus on practical improvements that make everyday journeys easier while ensuring every transport investment delivers real value for our community.

One thing I've learned throughout this campaign is that people don't expect miracles — they expect government to get the basics right.

Residents have consistently spoken to me about:

• unreliable bus services and poor connections
• congestion around schools and busy activity centres
• safer places to walk and ride
• better accessibility for older residents and people with disability
• planning for Box Hill's future growth rather than constantly trying to catch up
• making sure major transport decisions are made with the community, not simply for the community.

Public transport should be reliable enough that people choose to use it — not because they have no other option, but because it genuinely works.

A bus isn't genuinely useful if it runs too infrequently, can't be relied on, finishes too early in the evening, or forces people into difficult connections to get where they're going.

I'll advocate for improvements to local bus services with a focus on:

• frequency — services often enough to be worth planning your day around
• reliability, so people can trust the timetable
• operating hours that suit shift workers, students and evening travel
• more direct routes where the current network forces long detours
• accessibility for older residents, families and people with disability
• connections to Box Hill and our other major activity centres
• better coordination with trains and trams.

Reliable public transport reduces congestion, supports local businesses and gives people more choice in how they travel.

Whether you're walking, cycling or driving, everyone deserves to feel safe travelling through our community.

For a lot of people, the hardest part of the journey is the simplest one — crossing the road near their home, their school or their shops.

I'll support practical improvements including:

• safer pedestrian crossings
• improved crossing locations where the evidence demonstrates need
• safer school environments at drop-off and pick-up times
• better lighting around transport hubs and busy streets
• accessible footpaths that are safe to use with a pram, a walker or a wheelchair
• safer connections around transport hubs and activity centres
• evidence-based upgrades at dangerous intersections
• better consideration of children, older people and people with disability in every design decision.

Road safety should always be guided by evidence and local needs — not politics.

Box Hill is already one of Melbourne's busiest transport hubs, and it will become even more important with the future Suburban Rail Loop.

The existing railway station, the bus interchange and the future SRL station should work together as one genuinely connected system — not three separate pieces of infrastructure that happen to sit near each other.

Changing between buses, trains and trams should be simple. Getting to Box Hill Hospital, local businesses, schools and community facilities should be easier.

I'll advocate for:

• safe and accessible connections between buses, trains and the future SRL
• easier transfers between transport modes
• better pedestrian movement around the precinct
• clear passenger information and wayfinding
• accessibility for older people, families and people with disability
• secure bicycle parking and appropriate end-of-trip facilities.

Final designs are decisions for government and transport agencies. My job is to make sure our community's needs are heard loudly at every stage, and that what gets built actually works for the people who use it every day.

As our community grows, our transport system must grow with it.

A transport network only succeeds if everyone can use it.

That means thinking beyond roads and stations to the entire journey — from the front door to the final destination.

I'll advocate for:

• better footpaths and crossings
• accessible bus stops and stations
• reliable lifts and station facilities
• more seating and shelter
• improved accessibility for older residents, people with disability and families with young children.

Accessibility shouldn't be treated as an afterthought — it should be built into every transport decision from the beginning.

Many residents will continue to need a car — for work, school drop-offs, caring responsibilities, disability and mobility needs, running a business and family commitments. That's reality, and it's legitimate.

The answer isn't to punish drivers. Better buses, safer walking connections, sensible cycling options and properly integrated public transport give more people a realistic alternative when they want one.

That also takes unnecessary pressure off our roads and parking for the people who genuinely need to drive.

This isn't about telling people how they should travel.

It's about giving people more options so they can choose what works best for them.

Where transport overlaps with household budgets and emissions, I've set out my approach in my Cost of Living plan and my Climate-Smart, Lower Bills plan.

Plenty of local trips are short enough to walk or ride — if the route feels safe and actually goes where people need to go.

I'll support:

• connected walking routes rather than disconnected fragments
• safer cycling infrastructure where the evidence demonstrates need
• better connections to stations, schools, parks and activity centres
• secure bicycle parking at key locations
• genuine community consultation before changes are made
• designs that reduce conflict between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

Safer infrastructure, more choices, guided by evidence and community support.

Alongside the bigger picture, there are smaller local improvements worth properly examining because they would make everyday journeys easier.

• Support further investigation of improved pedestrian and active-transport connectivity across the railway corridor around Nelson Road and Thurston Street, subject to feasibility, appropriate planning, funding and community consultation.
• Continue working with residents to identify local crossings, bus connections and congestion hotspots that need attention.

I won't pretend a project is funded or approved when it isn't. What I will do is make sure practical local ideas are properly investigated instead of quietly ignored.

Every transport dollar should deliver genuine value for our community.

• transparent business cases for major projects
• genuine community consultation before important decisions are made
• independent oversight where appropriate
• public reporting on major costs, timelines and outcomes
• evidence-based transport planning, and value for taxpayers.

Read my Accountable Development & Integrity plan →

Transport should be planned around people's journeys — not political boundaries or headline announcements.

When transport works well:

• families spend less time in traffic
• children get to school more safely
• older residents remain independent for longer
• local businesses become easier to access
• healthcare, education and jobs become more connected
• our community becomes healthier, more inclusive and more resilient.

Better transport isn't just about getting from A to B.

It's about improving everyday life.

Good transport policy shouldn't be designed from a desk.

If there's an unreliable bus route, a dangerous crossing, a congestion hotspot, an accessibility problem or a transport connection that isn't working in your neighbourhood, I want to hear about it.

Tell Heena what needs fixing →

As your Independent representative, I'll always listen first.

I'll work constructively with government, councils, transport agencies and our community to deliver practical improvements that make everyday life easier.

Because getting around Box Hill should be safe, reliable, connected and accessible — for everyone.