By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
AN INFLUENTIAL Berwick trader has slammed the State Opposition’s pledge to remove the Clyde Road railway crossing should they take office next year.
In response to the Government’s East West Link plans, State Labor announced yesterday they would remove 50 of Melbourne’s worst level crossings by 2022 if they were successful in next year’s November election, which will include the notorious Clyde Road crossing in Berwick.
But Harry Hutchinson, former president of the Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce and local shopkeeper, said it would just lead to more of the same after Labor planned to remove the Clyde Road crossing in their previous term and settled for a revamp instead.
“All the current roadworks almost destroyed Berwick’s economy,” he said.
“I oppose this new plan. Labor went the cheap option last time.”
Labor’s plan will see the RACV’s priority list of 40 dangerous crossings all removed, including Clyde Road, Thompsons Road in Lyndhurst and Hallam Road in Hallam.
The additional 10 crossings to be removed will be announced before November 2014.
Mr Hutchinson admitted safety at the Clyde Road intersection had improved following the current works, which saw the intersection re-aligned, but said he was scarred by the previous State Government’s failed promise of removing the intersection altogether.
“Long-term it would help but traders don’t want to go through it all again, it’s too fresh in our memories,” he said.
“If they had removed it the first time we wouldn’t have this issue.
“Residents and businesspeople will be jumping up and down.”
The Opposition’s road proposal, dubbed Project 10,000, also includes widening the Tullamarine Freeway to six lanes and building a West Gate Distributor to take 5000 trucks off the bridge per day – creating 10,000 construction jobs in the process.
The Opposition plans to finance the $6 billion worth of crossing removals by selling the Port of Melbourne.
Luke Donnellan, Shadow Minister for Roads and Narre Warren North MP, said Project 10,000 would remove the bottlenecks in the area, boost economic growth and create 10,000 jobs.
“Over the past decade there have been almost 200 level crossing crashes, sadly this has resulted in many deaths,” Mr Donnellan said.
“The congestion caused by boom gates being down at level crossings creates major traffic delays and costs businesses millions in travel time.”
Mr Donnellan also said suburban roads would also get a funding boost with a guaranteed minimum of $1 billion from the Better Roads Victoria Trust Account to repair and upgrade roads.
Brad Battin, Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Gembrook MP, lambasted the Opposition’s proposal for not including any new trains, trams or buses.
Mr Battin said the Labor Party failed to deliver on their previous transport plans in Berwick while they were in office.
“The former Labor Government signed contracts on Clyde Road in haste to say they had done something after failing to act for 11 long years,” he said.
“The former government failed to provide for grade separation in that contract and now want to rip up the newly duplicated road – another example of Labor’s irresponsible approach to our state’s finances.
“Berwick traders would be devastated if the government closed Clyde Road again – many retailers have spoken to me of the impact of the current roadworks.”
