Scrap the East West sham
“About as popular as the Ebola virus”, Labor MP Anthony Albanese quipped recently. He could have been talking about one of many elements of the federal budget, but in this case he was referring to Melbourne’s ill-fated East West Link.
The two-stage $18 billion toll road would be the largest infrastructure project in Victorian history, slicing through the inner city to connect the Eastern Freeway with Citylink, and then on to the Western Ring Road. Victorian Liberal premier Denis Napthine has staked his premiership on it, but there are now serious doubts about its realisation.
ALP leader Daniel Andrews has announced that the party will not go ahead with the project if elected, reversing Labor’s previous position.
Despite howls of outrage from the business lobby at this about-face, opposing the East West Link should be a popular stance. A recent Age/Nielsen poll revealed that Victorians, by a three to one margin, believe that improving public transport should be a higher priority than the proposed road link.
Preliminary drilling and preparation for the eastern section have been dogged by protest since their beginning in September 2013.
Anthony Murphy is involved in the campaign against the East West Link and was the plaintiff in a recent Supreme Court challenge that argued the project was based on ‘‘misleading representations’’ that breached consumer protection laws.
The state government has refused to reveal any kind of business plan for the massive project. The case was dismissed on 10 September, but Murphy intends to appeal. He told Red Flag, “The court case is a serious attempt to delay or halt construction, but it’s complementary to the community pickets, demonstrations and other actions.
“It’s a battle on multiple fronts. The campaign is the main reason the East West Link has become such a big issue. Napthine’s plan was to present the project as a fait accompli, but it’s blown up in his face. There’s been a lot more opposition than he thought. I think we’re in a strong position to win this campaign.”
As far as Daniel Andrews’ recent announcement goes, Murphy says, “Labor’s change of heart has a hell of a lot more to do with the prospect of losing multiple inner-city seats to parties opposed to the East West Link than anything else. I don’t trust them at all. It’s vital to maintain the rage and keep the pressure on.”
Despite many billions of dollars being spent on roads in Victoria in the last decade, congestion is worsening. Massive toll road projects don’t help. They simply serve the interests of developers like Lend Lease, which stands to profit handsomely, along with other corporations.
The only effective way to reduce congestion is to remove cars from the road. To do that, there needs to be affordable and reliable alternative transport – particularly for people living in outer suburbs. The wide median strip of the congested Eastern Freeway was originally set aside for a rail line through Doncaster, servicing the same suburbs now reliant on cars. Building that rail line would be a good start to reducing congestion.
