2016-02-03
The Inner West community has launched its list of demands of the Andrews Government, in response to the Western Distributor Business Case released late last year.
Amongst the key demands are that port trucks must be prohibited from using ALL local streets, protection of Stony Creek Reserve and other parklands, and building the Port Rail Shuttle.
This comes after the business case revealed that the Andrews Government is planning truck bans on streets in Yarraville, but not Seddon and Footscray, and confirmed that it intends on locating the southern tunnel portal entrance in Stony Creek Reserve parkland.
“We won’t accept half measures designed to pacify us. We deserve clean air and our green space protected and we’ll keep on fighting until we get it,” said Samantha McArthur, President, Maribyrnong Truck Action Group.
“We know that toll roads increase rat-running on local streets. It would be a travesty for the inner west if this once-in-a-generation opportunity failed to remove port trucks from our streets and to clean up the terrible pollution in the area,” said Ms McArthur.
“We oppose any design option that unnecessarily puts a tunnel entrance so close to homes due to the air pollution, noise and visual impacts to residents, as well as loss of green space at Stony Creek Reserve,” said Scott Ellerton of Concerned Locals of Yarraville.
“We demand a long term solution for our community. They must position the southern tunnel entrance within the existing Westgate Freeway footprint," said Mr Ellerton.
“We are in favour of plans that keep the impact on Stony Creek Reserve to a minimum, rather than cutting it up into chunks, ruining the environment and amenity of the park” said Steve Wilson of Friends of Stony Creek.
“The community is united in its demands. Everyday people of the west have copped the negative impacts of the port trucks for far too long. It’s time the government put the people first,” said Colleen Hartland, Western Suburbs Greens MP.
“Children of the inner west suffer asthma rates double other areas of Melbourne thanks to the diesel air pollution from port trucks. Their health must be the priority” said Ms Hartland.
Facts:
• Air pollution kills around 3000 Australians every year
• EPA air quality monitoring of Francis Street, Yarraville reveal it is Australia’s most polluted residential street
• Children in the City of Maribyrnong are admitted to hospital for asthma and related respiratory admissions at the highest rate in all of Victoria and at 171% of the rest of Australia.