[Greens-Media] Government should withdraw tunnel and freeway plans - Hartland

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

Greens MLC Colleen Hartland has called on the government to be open with 
western suburbs residents about plans for an elevated freeway, following 
the publication of government tender documents.

"When the government announced their transport plan last year, they did 
not announce the most damaging and unpopular of the Eddington options - an 
elevated road that would plough through West Footscray and West Sunshine 
residential areas," said Colleen Hartland, the Greens state upper house MP 
for Western Metropolitan Region

"Suddenly a tender document appears* that calls for a contractor to 
develop and evaluate a route for not only a dirty great road tunnel under 
Footscray, which the government did announce, but also a road out the 
other end, to take extra cars through the inner western suburbs."

"This is why the road tunnel under Footscray is such a stupid idea.  If 
you bring thousands of vehicles into the middle of a suburb, you either 
have to clog the existing streets or build a new road."

"Well, here's a news flash for the government.  The residents who opposed 
your plans last year still live here.  We still oppose it, and we vote. We 
will campaign against your road tunnel and freeway through our suburbs, 
until we win."

"If the government has any sense, they will withdraw the tender as quietly 
as they put it out, because the public consultation process will be one 
big ongoing public relations nightmare."

"The reason for this tunnel and freeway is to bring cars from the outer 
suburbs in to the city, through the inner western suburbs.  You'd think 
the penny would have dropped by now that people want and need better 
public transport instead." 

"Electrify the Melton line and the new Tarneit line, untangle the rail 
freight lines, upgrade and extend the trams, incrase the frequency and 
make the busses connect.  It's not only what the western suburbs residents 
want, it's what we need if we're going to avoid dangerous climate change," 
said Ms Hartland

For comment: Colleen Hartland - 9689 6373

* WestLink Project Services Brief - statutory authority SEITA (now renamed 
Linking Melbourne Authority) seeks a contractor to develop and evaluate 
routes for the "West Gate Bridge Alternative" which comprises a road 
tunnel under the Maribyrnong River/Footscray  and a link from the tunnel 
to the Western Ring Road in West Sunshine, and the "Truck Action Plan", 
which comprises off-ramps from the Westgate Freeway and road upgrades. 
Tender documents available on Tenders VIC website, or from Colleen 
Hartland's office.

**************************************

Liz Ingham
Office of Colleen Hartland MLC
Western Metropolitan Region

A: 75 Victoria Street, Seddon 3011
P: 9689 6373
M: 0409 333 595
F: 9689 6227
E: elizabeth.ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au
W: http://mps.vic.greens.org.au
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