UPDATE: The future of a second major river crossing is in the hands of voters and the Supreme Court after Labor vowed to dump the East West Link if the project fails a December court challenge.
Wiliamstown MP Wade Noonan and Footscray MP Marsha Thomson both welcome the reversal, but western suburbs Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury warns it will be a loss for the west.
The November 27 election now stands as a referendum on the controversial road project, the second stage of which would provide an alternative major river crossing to the Westgate Freeway.
Mr Andrews said the change in position gave Victorians “a clear choice” at the next election.
“This election is a choice: Labor’s plan for better public transport and local roads or Denis Napthine’s $8 billion dud tunnel.”
The bombshell came as Premier Denis Napthine visited Sunshine on Thursday to examine drilling for the western section of the project, an $8-10 billion connection between CityLink and the Western Ring Road.
The government considers the second stage a key means for removing trucks from inner-west residential streets and taking pressure off the West Gate Bridge. Mr Elsbury accused western suburbs Labor MPs of reversing their earlier support for the project’s western stage.
“The members of western suburbs Labor less than 18 months ago were collecting signatures on a petition for the western section to be built.”
Roads Minister Terry Mulder said the East West Link would move trucks off residential inner-west streets.
But Mr Noonan said Labor’s plan answered the community’s call to prioritise public transport investment over roads.
“If Mr Elsbury and the Liberals want an election contest fought over roads versus public transport then I say bring it on.”
Footscray MP Marsha Thomson said it was irresponsible of the government to rush to sign contracts while the project was being challenged in the courts.
