By Molly Magennis
Several Hobsons Bay councillors have voiced their disdain towards the management of the West Gate Tunnel Project, saying the project has made the western suburbs “less liveable” in the process.
The scathing comments were made during the most recent council meeting on March 8, when council was presented with a regular West Gate Tunnel Project progress report.
Councillor Daria Kellander said she was personally uncomfortable with moving or seconding any report that comes from the West Gate Tunnel Project.
She said the report should include a section of community feedback so that locals can share their own personal experiences with traffic jams, car accidents and increased exhaust fume smells, all of which have resulted due to the project.
“I don’t think we need a report from them that just basically tells us how great the West Gate Tunnel Project is and how it’s coming along so smoothly,” she said.
“I recall a resident last week basically saying that the air was so thick with exhaust fumes that morning that she felt like she was eating it and that’s unacceptable.”
Councillor Tony Briffa described the project as “long term pain for short term gain.”
“They are holding us at ransom. They have been absolutely disgraceful over the last couple of months,” she said.
“I’d love to see some sort of compensation to residents, to commuters. It’s going to be a toll road, how about giving us five years of free toll if we’ve suffered through this crap?”
As previously reported by the Star Weekly, the project has been causing chaos for locals in the west with many complaining of banked up residential side streets because of road closures, and near car accidents due to driver impatience.
When presented with these issues, a West Gate Tunnel Project spokesperson said “on a project of this scale some impacts are unavoidable.”
“Over the summer works campaign, the West Gate Tunnel Project’s traffic teams work with the Department of Transport to continually monitor the traffic flow on the West Gate Freeway and across detour routes, making required adjustments where necessary to balance both traffic being detoured off the freeway and local roads”
