By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS AND ANEEKA SIMONIS
CASEY council has taken aim at local MP and state Roads Minister Luke Donnellan over his dismissal of a “bird-brained” $500 million offer of federal funding to widen the Monash Freeway.
At a council meeting on 19 April, Mayor Sam Aziz said Mr Donnellan’s comments in State Parliament last week effectively rejected a “once and for all” solution to worsening congestion on the freeway.
The mayor said Mr Donnellan had instead put politics first by pushing ahead with the state’s own $400 million Monash widening plan, which would “short change” the south-east of $600 million freeway funding.
“We do it properly or we don’t do it at all,” Cr Aziz said.
“It’s a no-brainer and let the electorate decide who’s the bird brain and who’s not.”
Councillors unanimously voted for the council to write to Mr Donnellan and Premier Daniel Andrews to urge the State Government to accept and match dollar-for-dollar the $500 million federal offer – effectively increasing the state’s contribution by $100 million.
The council resolved that the state’s plan to widen the freeway between Eastlink and Clyde Road, Berwick, would not meet the Casey-Cardinia growth corridor’s projected needs.
It is expected that 250,000 extra residents will live in the region in the next 25 years.
Under the Federal plan, the Monash would be widened by an extra lane in both directions between Warrigal Road, Chadstone, and Cardinia Road, Pakenham.
Cr Gary Rowe told the meeting that an additional road would also be built at the Princes Highway interchange at Beaconsfield under the plan, which would provide a diversion route to the Dandenong South jobs hub.
On 13 April Mr Donnellan accused the Turnbull Government of failing to adequately research the project when it announced the Monash Freeway as the key project under its $1.5 billion funding injection.
As a condition of the funding, the Federal Government insisted that the project was separated from the state’s signature Western Distributor plan.
Mr Donnellan said the Federal demands were “bird-brained”.
“The Turnbull Government has failed to undertake the detailed work and develop a business case or even outline to the community what it’s proposing,” he said.
He said the State Government’s existing plan will not be thrown out.
“We’ve already started widening the Monash by moving to the next phase.
“We’ve announced that three highly experienced construction teams had been shortlisted to complete the design and construction of the additional lanes and widening.”
Gembrook MP Brad Battin turned the criticism back on Mr Donnellan, accusing him of failing to think forward for south-east commuters who are already slugged with huge traffic delays each morning on the freeway.
“He simply does not understand what local residents go through each day in traffic chaos,” he said.
“Maybe if Luke Donnellan lived in the area he pretends to represent he would understand.
“He travels against traffic to get from the city each morning to his office, unlike Casey and Cardinia residents who travel to the city in the morning three-hour peak.”
The State Government has shortlisted three construction companies for the project and the winner will be announced in the middle of the year.
Construction is due to begin by the end of the year and be completed by the end of 2018.
