None of the Hobsons Bay level crossings slated for removal by Labor have been funded in the Andrews government’s first budget.
The government allocated up to $2.4 billion in the budget to remove at least 20 level crossings in its first term and confirmed the first 17 to go.
As reported by Star Weekly, then-Opposition leader Daniel Andrews made a pre-election promise to remove the level crossing on Aviation Road at Laverton, citing it as among the worst in Melbourne.
A 2012 Hobsons Bay council survey found the boom gates were down for a total of 40 minutes in the morning peak hour and 31.5 minutes at afternoon peak hour.
Labor also promised to remove level crossings at Kororoit Creek Road in Williamstown North and Ferguson Street in Williamstown, where a man suffered acquired brain injury after being dragged by a train in 2011.
Western suburbs Liberal MP Bernie Finn said Labor had promised to remove 50 level crossings in its first term, a claim denied by the government.
Mr Finn said the promise to remove 50 level crossings was like promising a Mercedes in every garage.
“They’ve given a guarantee they’ll remove these level crossings in this term,” he said.
“It’s going to cost a lot of money and it’s going to take a lot of time.
“We effectively have only three and a half years left in this term. We did 11 in four years; they did nine in 11 years.
“To expect the government, or anybody, to remove 50 level crossings in four years is fanciful.
“Quite frankly, they were having a lend of us when they said it and I think they knew that.”
Bob Neilson, a spokesman for Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan, said the government had committed to removing 50 of Victoria’s most dangerous and congested level crossings over the next eight years, not the next four.
He said the 11 crossings Mr Finn referred to included grade separations and level crossing removals completed as part of the Labor-funded Regional Rail Link project.
“If you remove Labor-funded grade separations and level crossing removals, the previous Liberal government delivered two level crossing removals in four years,” Mr Neilson said.
“The Andrews Labor government will remove 20 level crossings in its first term, including Main Road and Furlong Road in the west, to reduce traffic, run more trains and make local communities safer.”
