Cade Lucas
In person consultation meetings held over the weekend have failed to quell opposition to a proposed rail freight terminal in Little River.
Rail freight operator Pacific National conducted face to face meetings with Little River locals on Thursday evening and Saturday morning to discuss its plans to build a 500 hectare intermodal freight hub on land next to the town.
The proposal has encountered fierce opposition from local residents concerned about its impact on local wildlife, nearby grasslands reserves, green wedge zones and air pollution.
The two meetings follow a webinar with Pacific National representatives last month that opponents described as ‘farcical’.
According to Emma Sutcliffe from opposition campaign group PNGF, the face to face meetings were no better.
“These were loaded with Pacific National’s overpaid consultants who all made sympathetic faces at our extreme distress, but gave vague, wildly differing accounts of how their plans will actually impact our town and everyone in Melbourne’s west,” said Ms Suctliffe.
“There were no direct answers to our questions; we keep hearing ‘it’s just a concept, we want to hear about your concerns.”
A spokesperson for Pacific National provided a different version of events, saying the drop in sessions were well attended, with local residents keen to know more about the proposal.
“Community members were interested to understand more about the proposed project including potential traffic, lighting and noise impacts and the approval process more broadly.”
Roughly 80 people attended each meeting, with patrons encouraged to register and only attend once, though it’s believed a number of unregistered people came to both sessions.
“Community members who registered were respectful, engaged and provided constructive and detailed insights into how the potential project may impact them that will now be able to be incorporated into the preparation of the EES (Environmental Effects Statement) by the project team,” said a spokesperson for Pacific National.
Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning is conducting the EES into the freight hub proposal which Pacific National unveiled in October last year and aims to complete by 2026 .
The company’s lease on its existing freight hub in West Melbourne expires in 2029.
Emma Suctliffe said whatever the outcome of the EES or any further consultation, opponents of the proposal wouldn’t go away.
“Our concerns are that the proposal will destroy rare remnant native grasslands, further endanger already threatened species and wetlands, clog roads throughout Wyndham and Geelong with an extra four truck movements a minute, damage local heritage-listed bridges and buildings, ruin forever the look and character of Little River.”
