Sunbury Families Deserve Safe Access – Help Connect Emu Springs
The issue
When families move into a new estate, they understand that some infrastructure takes time. No one expects everything to be finished on day one.
What residents do expect is a safe way to access the local community.
Unfortunately, that basic expectation doesn’t exist in Emu Springs.
Our estate has only one entrance and exit via Lancefield Road—an 80 km/h road with no footpaths or protected pedestrian access. There is currently no safe way to walk to the nearest bus stop, shops, schools or other essential services without walking alongside fast-moving traffic.
This isn’t simply an inconvenience. It is a road safety issue, an accessibility issue and a community planning issue.
What makes this even more concerning is that Emu Springs appears to be the only recent estate in Sunbury without a safe pedestrian connection to public transport.
There is currently no safe pedestrian route in either direction. One direction has no walking path at all. The other requires residents to walk along an 80 km/h road with narrow shoulders, no footpaths and no protection from traffic simply to reach the nearest bus stop.
For many people, driving isn’t an option.
My name is Beth. I’m 28 years old, a mum to a one-year-old, and I have a disability that prevents me from driving. Everyday tasks like attending appointments, taking my son to the library or park, or catching public transport are impossible without relying on someone else because there is no safe way to leave the estate on foot. In essence I’ve been left nearly completely isolated in the estate.
I’m not the only resident affected.
One local family has had to make the difficult decision for one parent to leave paid employment because their teenage daughter has no safe way to travel independently to and from school. Other residents have raised concerns for children walking to school, parents with prams, older residents, people with disabilities and anyone who relies on walking or public transport.
We’ve contacted Hume City Council, local councillors, Josh Bull MP and state authorities. While we appreciate their engagement, we’ve been advised that permanent pedestrian connections may not be delivered for several years because they depend on future development.
The problem is that people already live here.
Families are already raising children here.
People with disabilities are already living here.
Teenagers are already trying to get to school here.
Residents should not have to wait years before they have a safe way to access the rest of Sunbury.
We’re not asking for expensive infrastructure overnight.
We’re asking the Hume Council and the Victorian Government to work together on practical interim solutions, including investigating a temporary pedestrian connection through the adjoining undeveloped land to link Emu Springs with the existing footpath network near the 7-Eleven on Sunbury Road, improving access to nearby bus stops, and providing a clear plan for permanent pedestrian infrastructure.
This petition isn’t about assigning blame.
It’s about ensuring that every resident of Emu Springs has the same opportunity as residents in every other Sunbury estate—to safely walk, access public transport and participate in everyday community life.
Over the course of advocating for this issue, I’ve heard from residents not only within Emu Springs but also from other growing communities who have experienced similar challenges when moving into new developments before essential infrastructure was in place.
While this petition focuses on Emu Springs, I hope it can also start a broader conversation about how new communities are planned and connected. As our towns continue to grow, no family should find themselves isolated because safe pedestrian access and public transport have been left until years after people move in.
Growth should never come at the expense of safety, accessibility or community connection.
This is our opportunity to work together—not just to improve Emu Springs, but to encourage better planning for future developments across Sunbury and beyond.
If we can help create positive change here, we can help ensure that future families don’t face the same challenges.
Please sign, share and help us show that every community deserves to be connected from the day people call it home.
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The issue
When families move into a new estate, they understand that some infrastructure takes time. No one expects everything to be finished on day one.
What residents do expect is a safe way to access the local community.
Unfortunately, that basic expectation doesn’t exist in Emu Springs.
Our estate has only one entrance and exit via Lancefield Road—an 80 km/h road with no footpaths or protected pedestrian access. There is currently no safe way to walk to the nearest bus stop, shops, schools or other essential services without walking alongside fast-moving traffic.
This isn’t simply an inconvenience. It is a road safety issue, an accessibility issue and a community planning issue.
What makes this even more concerning is that Emu Springs appears to be the only recent estate in Sunbury without a safe pedestrian connection to public transport.
There is currently no safe pedestrian route in either direction. One direction has no walking path at all. The other requires residents to walk along an 80 km/h road with narrow shoulders, no footpaths and no protection from traffic simply to reach the nearest bus stop.
For many people, driving isn’t an option.
My name is Beth. I’m 28 years old, a mum to a one-year-old, and I have a disability that prevents me from driving. Everyday tasks like attending appointments, taking my son to the library or park, or catching public transport are impossible without relying on someone else because there is no safe way to leave the estate on foot. In essence I’ve been left nearly completely isolated in the estate.
I’m not the only resident affected.
One local family has had to make the difficult decision for one parent to leave paid employment because their teenage daughter has no safe way to travel independently to and from school. Other residents have raised concerns for children walking to school, parents with prams, older residents, people with disabilities and anyone who relies on walking or public transport.
We’ve contacted Hume City Council, local councillors, Josh Bull MP and state authorities. While we appreciate their engagement, we’ve been advised that permanent pedestrian connections may not be delivered for several years because they depend on future development.
The problem is that people already live here.
Families are already raising children here.
People with disabilities are already living here.
Teenagers are already trying to get to school here.
Residents should not have to wait years before they have a safe way to access the rest of Sunbury.
We’re not asking for expensive infrastructure overnight.
We’re asking the Hume Council and the Victorian Government to work together on practical interim solutions, including investigating a temporary pedestrian connection through the adjoining undeveloped land to link Emu Springs with the existing footpath network near the 7-Eleven on Sunbury Road, improving access to nearby bus stops, and providing a clear plan for permanent pedestrian infrastructure.
This petition isn’t about assigning blame.
It’s about ensuring that every resident of Emu Springs has the same opportunity as residents in every other Sunbury estate—to safely walk, access public transport and participate in everyday community life.
Over the course of advocating for this issue, I’ve heard from residents not only within Emu Springs but also from other growing communities who have experienced similar challenges when moving into new developments before essential infrastructure was in place.
While this petition focuses on Emu Springs, I hope it can also start a broader conversation about how new communities are planned and connected. As our towns continue to grow, no family should find themselves isolated because safe pedestrian access and public transport have been left until years after people move in.
Growth should never come at the expense of safety, accessibility or community connection.
This is our opportunity to work together—not just to improve Emu Springs, but to encourage better planning for future developments across Sunbury and beyond.
If we can help create positive change here, we can help ensure that future families don’t face the same challenges.
Please sign, share and help us show that every community deserves to be connected from the day people call it home.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 2 July 2026