By Matthew Sims
Altona Meadows residents and visitors could be a step closer to being able to cross the Queen Street Bridge across Laverton Creek, thanks to a $3.4 million commitment from the Liberal and National coalition.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy visited Altona Meadows on Friday, September 30 to announce the funding towards the construction of a new 60-metre shared bike and pedestrian bridge if the coalition was elected at November’s state election.
“Investing in this important project will mean a quicker and safer commute for pedestrians and cyclists,” he said.
“This bridge is critically important for all locals, and it’s essential for us to invest in the western suburbs as they experience continued population growth.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Peter Hemphill said the council had been advocating for state government funding since 2018, as well as during the delivery of the state government’s Queen Street Bridge Strengthening project in 2020.
“At present, pedestrians and cyclists travelling along Queen Street risk their safety crossing the existing bridge, which is used by more than 19,000 vehicles each day,” he said.
“In 2020, the Victorian Government commenced the Queen Street Bridge strengthening project, but despite advocacy from Council and a large local campaign, disappointingly a safe and accessible crossing for cyclists and pedestrians was not included.”
Liberal candidate for Williamstown Daria Kellander said she did not personally feel safe pushing a pram across the bridge in its current state.
“It’s completely unsafe,” she said.
“Our community has pleaded for this upgrade for years, and these pleas have been ignored by Labor.
“Only a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will fix Queen Street Bridge and make it safer for locals.”
Mr Guy said the bridge in its current state was “completely unsafe”.
“I think the west are sick of being taken for granted,” he said.
Liberal candidate for Point Cook Angela Newhouse said the commitment was a win for the Altona Meadows community.
“Despite a wide-scale local campaign, the Andrews Labor Government has failed to deliver a safe and accessible crossing for cyclists and pedestrians,” she said.
