Labor abandons Melbourne’s West by failing to ease traffic congestion: Napthine

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Premier Denis Napthine joined representatives of LeadWest and western suburbs councils 26 May to highlight the benefits of the East West Link’s western section for people living in Melbourne’s West.

“Once complete, the $8-10 billion western section of the East West Link will transform Melbourne’s freeway network, delivering safer and less congested roads for Melbourne’s western region,” Dr Napthine said, who added that the East West Link western section would significantly reduce car and truck traffic on local streets in the inner north and west and make local roads safer.

LeadWest is a not for profit organisation focused on advocating for the sustainable growth and development of Melbourne’s west.

Its members include representatives from six local governments and representatives from major companies that have operations based in Melbourne’s west.

Addressing members, Dr Napthine said there was no doubt that the Labor party was treating the people in western suburbs of Melbourne with contempt.

“Labor takes the West for granted, and in this case they’ve literally kicked sand in the face of the people of the Western suburbs who have been clamouring for years and years for a second river crossing,” Dr Napthine said.

“Under Labor a second river crossing with a direct link to the Port of Melbourne will not happen and families in Melbourne’s West will endure more congestion and delays,” Dr Napthine said. “Daniel Andrews and Labor do not support the western section of East West Link, even though the former Labor Government said that a second river crossing was critical and put an alignment for the project in the Melways. Labor has showed that they have no plan to deal with Melbourne’ growth,” he added.

Dr Napthine said the western section of the East West Link will alleviate congestion on the Monash-West Gate corridor, the busiest and most important economic route in Victoria. “It will provide an alternative route to the West Gate Bridge, resulting in travel time savings of up to 20 minutes when traveling from Werribee, Altona or Laverton to central Melbourne,” Dr Napthine said.

He added that it would also provide benefits to regional Victoria – travel times from Geelong to Melbourne will be reduced by 15-20 minutes and travel times from Ballarat will be reduced by 10-15 minutes.

“The East West Link is vital to enhancing Melbourne’s livability, given that population growth will see Melbourne accommodate 7.7 million people by 2051,” Dr Napthine said, and highlighted the recent Budget announcement that the notorious level crossing at Main Road, St Albans will be removed.

“More than $200 million has been allocated to the project as part of the Regional Rail Link, with construction works to remove this dangerous level crossing beginning this year,” Dr Napthine said.

“This builds on other investments in western Melbourne, such as the $40 million upgrade to the freeway interchange at Sneydes Rd, Point Cook, which will serve the East Werribee Employment Precinct and the growing Point Cook area,” he said.

The Victorian Coalition Government’s 2014-15 State Budget is delivering record funding to build a better Victoria and facilitate growth in Melbourne’s west, including $8-10 billion for the western section of the East West Link, and the $8.5-11 billion for the Melbourne Rail Link. Detailed planning and further development of the connection from the eastern section to the Western Ring Road is underway, with a view to commencing work by the end of 2015.

Published in The Indian Sun (Indian Magazine in Melbourne)

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