I’m pleased that Labor has announced it will dump the East West Link if the current court action being brought by Yarra and Moreland Councils succeeds.
It shows that the people power that’s been opposing this environmentally destructive and economically irresponsible road is paying dividends.
The trouble is, we won’t know the outcome of that legal challenge until 15 December – more than 2 weeks after the election.
Victorian voters deserve to know exactly where Labor stands before the election. Instead of outsourcing its policy decisions to a court, Labor needs to be straight with voters about whether it will or won’t build East-West Link, should it win on 29 November.
We’re talking about a project that will cost a massive $18 billion to construct, crowding out other badly needed investment in schools, hospitals and public transport for decades. And Victorian taxpayers could be forking out up to another billion dollars a year in compensation to investors if the road underperforms – like Brisbane’s failed Clem7 tunnel and Sydney’s Cross City and Lane Cove tunnels, neither of which generated anything like the forecast revenue.
But what’s worse, East West Link won’t be the silver bullet solution to traffic congestion its backers are promising. We know from past experience that building bigger roads only buys temporary relief and just moves the bottleneck up the road. And with the tolls due to start at Chandler Highway, we’re likely to see thousands more cars every day driving through our neighbourhood to avoid paying.
The East West Link will disrupt vital services along the South Morang line for up to 5 years during construction, and destroy precious public open space and liveability in the inner city forever.
But unlike the desal plant, we won’t be able to just ignore it if it turns out to be a costly mistake. It will be there, having a massive impact on our community, every single day.
Only the Greens are unconditionally committed to stopping East West Link.
If I am elected in November, I will be your voice in Parliament against the East West Link and for cheaper, more effective public transport alternatives like Doncaster Rail, Metro Rail and the Mernda rail extension.
RACV Board Election
By the way, you might recall that last year I stood for election to the RACV board on a ‘Stop East West Link’ platform and won support from 34 percent of voters. Well, I’m at it again, this year joined by Yarra Councillor Amanda Stone, taking on the RACV and both Labor and Liberal to say no to East West Link and yes to Doncaster Rail, Metro Rail, the Mernda rail extension and better public transport for all Victorians.
If you’re an RACV member you’re probably eligible to vote and will receive your ballot over the next week stuck inside the Royal Auto magazine. So please keep an eye out for it and encourage your friends and family to get behind Amanda and me.
For more info see Stop East West
PS We’ve recently announced our plan to address congestion on the Chandler Highway bridge. Check out our video.
