MP’s office in 4C ‘tip’ anger

KIM WATERS
A LABOR MP’s office has told residents State Government will leave unchanged the route of a controversially proposed bypass link south of Geelong, according to a lead objector.
South Grovedale Action Group’s Margarita Kumnik accused federal Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman of “playing political hockey” with residents fighting the route for stage 4C of the bypass.
Objectors are waiting for state Planning Minister Matthew Guy to announce his decision on 4C after receiving an advisory panel report several weeks ago.
“Darren Cheeseman’s assistant rang me…and asked what we thought about how the report of the advisory committee had recommended leaving the road where it was,” Ms Kumnik said.
“I said we hadn’t heard that and asked who had told them and he responded that he couldn’t say.
“Turns out when we queried him about what his assistant had said…he back tracked and said he would ‘bet London to a brick’ that the existing road corridor would remain but would not say he knew so.”
Ms Kumnik said residents were questioning why the decision was taking so long when Mr Guy promised in January that it would take “a low number of months”.
Mr Cheeseman turned up the heat on State Government over the delay.
“The Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, has admitted the 4C report has been sitting on his desk for weeks now,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“Now the chickens have come home to roost Matthew Guy and (South Barwon MP) Mr Katos have to face up to their pre-election antics where they indicated to local Grovedale residents that it would not be that big a deal to move the road, giving the impression they would move the road.
“They either now back that up or they apologise to these Grovedale residents for misleading them, deliberately saying one thing before the election and doing another thing now.”
Mr Guy blamed the former Labor Government for creating a ring road “mess”.
“It’s a detailed and complex situation and that’s why Labor’s mess is so difficult to clean up,” he said.
“We went through a long consultation process involving the community, unlike the previous Labor Government, and the decision will be announced soon.”
Residents of Waurn Ponds and Grovedale fear noise, traffic and property value impacts from the proposal to run 4C along a railway reservation adjacent to homes.