2018-03-08
Western metro MP Huong Truong says the Greens will today support the revocation of planning approvals for the Westgate Tunnel.
The new toll road faces strong community opposition, with traffic and urban planning experts warning the project will worsen traffic and limit future investment in public transport.
Like the aborted East-West Link, the Westgate Tunnel was never taken to an election and details about the business case for the project remain secret.
The Greens supported the West Gate Distributor plan that the government took to the last election, which would cost a fraction of this new toll road and provide trucks with direct access to the Port of Melbourne.
Greens MP Huong Truong says door-to-door public transport is needed across the west, but that this road will make traffic worse and entrench car dependence.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to reshape the transport system across the western suburbs,” Huong Truong said.
“We need to listen to the experts, who overwhelmingly want more public transport, not giant toll roads.
“The government now has an opportunity to go back and build the project they took to the last election and get dangerous and polluting trucks off local streets.
“We stand resolutely with the community on eliminating congestion and truck pollution, but the solution isn’t another private toll road which will hand billions of dollars to Transurban.
“Investing in door-to-door public transport will get people out of traffic and provide more time to do the important things,” she said.