Work is back under way on the West Gate Tunnel after the Planning Minister stepped in to over-ride an attempt to halt the controversial project.
Workers on the $6.7 billion tollway downed tools last Wednesday after the Liberals, Nationals and Greens united in the upper house of State Parliament, voting 22-18 to revoke planning approval for the works.
Focusing his attack on the Greens, Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said the “reckless parliamentary manoeuvre” had threatened jobs and threw into doubt promised truck bans on some Yarraville and Footscray routes.
“We will not let the Liberal-Green coalition sack these workers, roll back our truck bans and deny everyone who relies on the West Gate Bridge the congestion relief they urgently need,” he said.
But newly installed western suburbs upper house Greens representative Huong Truong hit back, arguing that the new toll road faces strong community opposition, would make traffic worse and entrench car dependence.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the transport system across the western suburbs,” she said. “We need to listen to the experts, who overwhelmingly want more public transport and less giant toll roads.”
Planning Minister Richard Wynne signed a planning scheme amendment on Thursday morning, paving the way for construction to immediately resume.
Another vote on the tollway could go to the upper house later this month and trigger as yet unspecified “alternative pathways” to get around the approvals process.
