DESPITE a $154 million windfall in the state budget, more than $260 million is still needed to transform Thompsons Road into a major east-west throughfare, according to Casey mayor Sam Aziz.
Cr Aziz, who is the Victorian Spokesperson for the National Growth Areas Alliance Fund Our Future Campaign, welcomed the State Govement contribution but said much more was needed to finish the project.
“It’s encouraging that the State Government is listening. While this is step in the right direction, the funding does not fully address a solution to the transport bottleneck at the intersection of Westernport Highway and Thompsons Road and does not complete the needed connection of Thompsons Road from Clyde Road through to Cardinia,” Cr Aziz said.
“The Thompsons Road extension is urgently required to facilitate development of employment land in Casey and Cardinia and the provision of local job opportunities for these communities. A funding commitment of $190 million is still required from the Federal Government to ensure a high standard regional arterial connection is delivered through to Cardinia.
“The Victorian Government has already allocated funding to commence the duplication, however, the removal of the Westernport Highway bottleneck and the completion of a high standard connection between the residential areas of Casey and employment land in Cardinia cannot be finished without Federal Government funding.”
The City of Casey and Shire of Cardinia are part of a national campaign, Fund our Future, which is pushing for a national dedicated infrastructure fund that would address the infrastructure backlog in fast-growing outer suburbs and future-proof them, as they continue to grow.
“A dedicated infrastructure fund for fast-growing outer suburbs would support projects like Thompsons Road based on merit and good planning – not on election cycles,” Cr Aziz said.
Residents can have their voice heard by signing the Thompsons Road petition at www.fundourfuture.info
Like the campaign on Facebook at FundourFutureAU.
