A Wyndham councillor has accused the state government of thumbing its nose at Wyndham’s transport woes by not prioritising the removal of any level crossings in the area.
Glenn Goodfellow, the council’s transport portfolio-holder, said Werribee’s Cherry Street level crossing ranked number four on the RACV’s priority list of removals but was not in the first suite of removals announced by the state government.
He said the Cherry Street grade separation would eliminate between 25 and 35 minutes of boomgate downtime during morning and afternoon peaks.
Wyndham council is keen to see the Cherry Street crossing in Werribee removed first, followed by the Werribee Street crossing.
The government has started work on its election promise to remove Victoria’s 50 most dangerous level crossings in the next eight years. It has allocated $2.4 billion for the removal of 20 crossings in this term of government, with 17 already identified. Neither Wyndham crossing is on the initial list.
Cr Goodfellow said that of the first 17 level crossing removals announced, the Main Road and Furlong Road level crossings in St Albans were the only ones announced for the west, although neither had made the RACV’s “top 10”.
“So the government again thumbs its nose at the people of Wyndham,” he said. “Why has the fastest-growing municipality in Victoria been cast to the side yet again? We must remove these crossings, plain and simple.”
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the first 17 level crossing removals were chosen following recommendations from VicRoads and the Level Crossing Removal Authority.
Ms Allan’s office said the authority was still working out timelines for the remaining 33 crossings, and it could not confirm when the Cherry Street crossing would be removed.
