Cynthia Pilli
Liberal Party parliamentarians Keith Wolahan (Menzies) and Jess Wilson (Kew, together with the pre-selected candidate for Kooyong, Amelia Hamer, hosted a forum on the North East Link Project which was held at the Veneto Club in Bulleen on Tuesday 28th January. In particular we heard the substantial grievances of residents who live in close proximity to the North East Link Project works and the suffering that has been inflicted upon them. There was some discussion about transport policy, but we need much more.
With this in mind, I wrote to the Commonwealth parliamentary representative, Keith Wolahan, to seek a commitment for a policy declaration in favour of public transport.
This is what I put to Mr Wolahan:
I attended the very informative session on the 28th January held at the Veneto Club. Thank you for the opportunities around the room to speak to the concerns many had. As requested, I have provided mine in writing and outlined them below.
In The Age, in June last year, an article titled ” Motorists pay billions as toll deal drives profits”
that Motorists have paid nearly $ 13 billion to drive on City Link while toll prices have grown up to three times faster than inflation since the road opened 24 years ago. It has made City Link the most profitable of Transurban’s 22 roads globally.
Melbourne motorists contributed more than a quarter of Transurban’s worldwide toll revenue, underpinning its growth into a $ 43 billion, ASX listed company.
Like Doncaster Rail, that John Young referred to in his address, Melbourne needs reliable and sustainable rail connections, not toll roads! Will you demand a public review of the North East Link project that has already been called for tonight, so that the voices of sustainable transport expertise and climate scientists can be heard and the rail alternative, instead of this mega toll road, fully explored.?
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to these issues of concern.
————————————————————————
Further to the above, John Young in his address, spoke of the huge loss of trees and vegetation and that Doncaster Rail was killed off after having been on the books for 50 years. It gave me hope for a change in direction to hear comments from your colleagues, that there are no trains in proximity, that we need a 1st class public transport system, this project is a ridiculous overbuild, unnecessary waste and that we will fight for you.
Bus networks are cheaper than rail networks, but they just don’t compete with the capacity of trains – 800 passengers every 10 minutes, 20 minutes to the city and with Met tunnel 2 already being considered, its absolutely attainable in a reasonable timeline. This then frees up existing road space for trade vehicles and others for whom public transport is not suitable. Everyone knows that it is a myth that mega roads ease congestion. Driving during peak times on the Eastern Freeway towards Clifton Hill and Hoddle Street, it’s already bumper to bumper for some kilometres. If this isn’t an indication that the North East Link mega road project will make it worse and should be dumped, then what is?
A call to change direction is urgent! The North East Link threat to health in also undeniable. A quote from Dr Margaret Beaves in 2021 is but one of many. ” When it comes to urban planning, we are building suburbs that in 20 years will be ghettos of ill health “. There was a time when arguing for coal wasn’t strange. It’s now time to argue for a change in your party’s roads policy and to stand against multiple vested interests of those that plan to claim the profits and leave us the community with the costs.
It has been put to me (I dread to think) that the disaster of the North East Link is just a handy platform for the Victorian opposition should it win government, to launch East West Link (2) and you will do nothing substantial to change the status quo, or prevent even worse car dependency in the North East. Is there any truth in these statements?
In much of your electorate, there is the unavoidable obligation to have one car per adult. We are irredeemably car dependent. Is this all we have to look forward to? Will you champion a longer term transport solution in the interests of the health and well- being of our children and young people and that we too, like many areas that owe their existence to train services, be able to go sustainably to where we want to?
