Greens to disallow West Gate toll road planning scheme amendment
The Victorian Greens will support a disallowance motion to stop construction of the West Gate toll road.
The decision comes in response to extensive community opposition to the West Gate toll road, which modelling shows will create more traffic and fail to address the transport needs of Melbourne's west.
Like the Liberals aborted East-West toll road, the West Gate toll road wasn't taken to an election and vital information has been kept secret.
Expert transport planners have urged the government to abandon the project, which will entrench Transurban's control of Victoria's road network and worsen congestion across the inner-city.
Quotes attributable to:
Sam Hibbins MP, Victorian Greens spokesperson for Transport.
"The West Gate toll road is a bad project that will simply create more traffic and profits for Transurban."
"Transurban, a private company, should not be planning our transport system to fill their coffers at the expense of Melbourne's neighbourhoods."
"Disallowing the planning scheme may not stop the project, but it should. The government will continue to show contempt for democracy if it proceeds with the West Gate toll road without planning approval."
Ellen Sandell MP, State Member for Melbourne:
"The West Gate toll road will pour thousands more cars into the CBD and inner suburbs, and create a huge bottleneck. No other smart, modern city is building freeways directly into its CBD. Just like East West toll road, this is yet another dodgy project that will cost billions and create more traffic, and the Greens will do all we can to stop it."
Huong Truong, Greens candidate for Western Metropolitan Region:
"The Greens are standing with members of the community who are opposed to the West Gate toll road."
"We can get trucks off roads and address congestion without building a $6 Billion dollar toll road."
"We're ready to work with government on real transport solutions for the West. That should start by moving freight to rail, getting trucks off the West Gate Bridge with off-ramps, shifting trucks from local streets with truck bans and providing commuters with sustainable alternatives by upgrading train lines and completing the Federation Bike Trail."