The state government has abandoned the western suburbs again by
proposing $500-million ramps from CityLink to the port after ruling out
a similar project for the west, according to the Greens.
The government is reported to have asked companies vying to build
the east-west link to incorporate plans for further stages, including a
road from CityLink to the port.
The proposal comes as lead Greens senate candidate Janet Rice
promised to fight for $100 million of federal transport money towards
inner-west truck bypass ramps leading to the West Gate Freeway.
The Footscray resident and former Maribyrnong mayor said she had
seen a generation of governments ignore the growing truck problem in the
west.
“We need to invest in public transport and shift people away from
cars and we need to get freight off roads and on to rails,” she said.
Ms Rice said building the ramps and moving to rail were the only
solutions to alleviating the increasing truck burden as freight volume
doubles from 2.5 million containers a year to more than 5 million by 2025.
“This is more than a transport issue for me,” she said. “My family
breathes the diesel every day. My kids went to school here. So I know
this is a serious health issue, it’s a safety issue for bike riders and
it’s about local amenity.”
The state government did not respond to requests for comment
