By NOEL MURPHY
GEELONG’S two most senior State MPs are at odds with Geelong’s leading government advisor on its top priority for Geelong – Melbourne’s East-West Link.
G21, a government-appointed alliance of Geelong region councils, wants the west section of the East-West Link completed first, to ease pressure on the Westgate Freeway and open the fastest growing precinct in Australia – Melbourne’s west.
But Premier Denis Napthine, the Member for South West coast and Minister for Regional Cities – together with Polwarth MP and Transport/Roads Minister Terry Mulder – this week dug their heels in extolling the virtues of the freeway link, starting in the east.
G21 boss Elaine Carbines recently cited the East-West link as the number one federal election priority Geelong should be pursuing. She said the western section should be completed first.
“The Government is saying the east side but we’ve put in a submission arguing that planning be done at same time,’’ she told the Independent.
“Most of Melbourne’s growth is occurring in the western corridor – at Point Cook, Wyndham, Geelong. It’s the fastest-growing corridor in Australia, so it makes sense to look at the west, at least at same time as east.”
Geelong’s only political support for a western route has come instead from Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews, member for Mulgrave on the east side of Melbourne.
“The east-west project has been shelved in favour of an east-east project that ignores congestion problems in the city’s west and threatens Victoria’s economic growth with commuters and freight carriers losing time in traffic,’’ he said.
A joint statement by Dr Napthine and Mr Mulder this week on the $8 billion project, calling for funding from Canberra, focussed only on the eastern side of the project and the benefits to be delivered on the opposite side of Melbourne.
The East-West link has a $294 million State Government commitment but requires Federal Government assistance.
