High-rise greed
[Re: Outcry over high-rise bid, Star Weekly, January 14] Surely in such a dampened jobs market, with unaffordable housing and all the economic constraints we are facing at the federal and state levels, there’s no precedent for such apartments and housing density that will overload existing services and amenities.
Once these high-rise monstrosities are built, they will boost the “projected” population growth and change the dynamics of the area altogether – with nil net gain, just losses for the local community. Endless population growth, driven by greed and the lucrative wealth of property development, with no aim or target, will destroy our city and suburbs.
Milly Osbourne, via web
The developer has interest in three sites down Blackshaws Road. If one 10-storey building gets through the process, what will stop them making the whole street a high-rise jungle?
Chris Turner, via web
Our economy has largely declined but is kept afloat through high rates of population growth. A housing-based economy dependant on rising house prices and high demand is unsustainable. We need to move off the housing Ponzi scheme to preserve our living standards and the amenities of our city.
VivKay, via web
Fixing the Footscray mess
The proposed West Gate Distributor won’t work.
Having on- and off-ramps from the western side of the West Gate Bridge connecting to Hyde Street will only recreate the criss-cross traffic flow VicRoads had to solve at the Bolte Bridge and West Gate Freeway junction some years ago.
All of the high-voltage power lines under the West Gate Bridge will have to be relocated. Construction of the on/off-ramps for inbound and outbound trucks will need to provide clearance over the power lines for the trains and under the West Gate Bridge to clear truck load height. Using Hyde Street as a collector route for West Gate truck traffic will destroy the use of Hyde Street for cyclists commuting from the outer west to the inner city.
Footscray Road narrows from eight lanes on the eastern side of Shepherd Bridge down to one at Napier and Hyde Streets. Shepherd Bridge needs widening to at least six traffic lanes plus bicycle lanes that must continue along Buckley Street to Geelong Road at the West Footscray overpass. This should alleviate the Yarraville truck issue.
An Elevated Dock Link Road connecting Footscray, Dynon and Ballarat roads at the Newells Paddock/Lynche Bridge area on Ballarat Road would take trucks off Moore Street.
Maybe then and only then will the disconnected roadway mess at Footscray be fixed.
Noel Dyson, Hobsons Bay Bicycle Users Group
