BACCHUS Marsh will get a ‘freeway link’ instead of a truck bypass to ease only local traffic problems, Moorabool mayor Pat Griffin
has claimed.
Cr Griffin told the Weekly he understood that VicRoads director of major projects George Mavroyeni had admitted the project could not exceed the $30million previously allocated for the rejected Woolpack Road bypass.
Cr Griffin said he expected VicRoads’ latest proposed alignment, looping south under the Avenue of Honour close to the Werribee River, would cost in excess of $70million.
He said the possible roadworks, nicknamed Strawberry Fields, were riddled with problems, such as Moon Reserve being wiped out and old river red gums being ripped down. “This whole thing is a disaster. They are just playing politics because they don’t want to spend,” he said.
Hundreds of residents last week attended VicRoads’ first community consultation session on heavy and local traffic solutions.
Reginald ‘Reg’ Tapper said he would like to see the government reinstate the Woolpack Road plan, rejected by Planning Minister Matthew Guy in April.
Pro-Woolpack Road option campaigner Malcolm Trask said a petition had received more signatures than anticipated, “and they are all local”.
“There would have been a second Avenue of Honour and it would have taken the trucks out of town,” he said. “The money is already there for Woolpack.”
But Avenue Preservation Group spokesman Damian Strangio said it was time for people to look seriously at the new options. “We are all involved in this selection process. It would be appropriate for all councillors to stop this pointless, divisive and wasteful argument by asking all involved to work together towards mutually acceptable progress. The ‘petition’ is fixated on the Strawberry Fields alternative. VicRoads has many options. They are misleading the community about the facts and losing an opportunity to be involved in choosing alternatives.”
-Claire Knox
