La Trobe MP Jason Wood has stood by the Federal Government’s funding for carparks at Berwick Railway Station, despite a damning report finding the project was not “merit-based”.
The carpark project at Berwick Station was one of the big cash-splashes announced in this year’s Federal Budget, with $64.2 million allocated towards a multi-storey car park for commuters.
It was one of 47 commuter car park projects announced under the Federal Government’s National Commuter Carpark Fund.
At the time, Mr Wood said while roads and carparks weren’t usually the responsibility of the Federal Government, he had fought hard to secure the funding as he knew it was an important issue for local residents.
But a report by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has called into scrutiny the commuter carpark projects announced by the Federal Government.
In its review, the ANAO found “the approach taken to identifying and selecting commuter car park projects for funding commitment was limited in coverage and was not demonstrably merit-based”.
The report states not one of the 47 projects selected for funding under the scheme was proposed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Instead, the majority of projects were selected after a direct written request by the Minister to the Prime Minister.
The project identification approach also involved “canvassing” local members.
The audit found this process was “not appropriate…open or transparent”.
“Departmental advice did not contain an assessment against the investment principles or policy objectives and it was not demonstrated that projects were selected on merit. The distribution of projects selected reflected the geographic and political profile of those given the opportunity by the government to identify candidates for funding consideration,” the report went on to state.
But Mr Wood said he was proud to have secured the funding for the carparks.
“My role as a Federal local Member of Parliament is to listen to my constituents and fight for them and I fight very hard, that’s how I secured the funding for carparks,” he said.
“I couldn’t be prouder that when we get through Covid, we have carpark spaces for people to get to work.”
He said he had secured the funding by “proving the case” that La Trobe was the fastest growing electorate in the country and Berwick Station needed extra parking spaces for commuters.
“We didn’t want to let the residents down,” he said.
“I never back away from my community, I fight 110 per cent.
“Not one resident from Berwick complained to me about putting money in for station carparks. Everyone wants it.”
The Berwick carparks will be delivered by the Victorian Government as part of its level crossing removal project at Clyde Road.
