IT’S a long-running problem that’s getting worse by the day.
As Wyndham’s population continues to explode faster than anywhere in Australia, the peak-hour commute has turned into a nightmare for residents.
While Wyndham is technically 20minutes from the CBD, choked arterial roads across the municipality mean the journey to Melbourne can stretch to more than two hours.
Last weekend, residents took to the streets and the message was loud and clear – they’ve had enough.
More than 60 people attended the community rally on Cottrell Street, demanding the state government to immediately funnel much-needed money into Wyndham’s most congested roads.
A recent traffic volume study by the council revealed that 18 key roads were at or over capacity.
The report stated that VicRoads and the government had failed to provide funding to upgrade Wyndham’s arterial roads for five years.
Mayor Kim McAliney last week told the Weekly the council would spend $44million this financial year, however that was not enough to repair and maintain the city’s roads.
“We need help from the government,” Cr McAliney said.
“Wyndham can not continue to grow at its present rate without major investment in its roads.”
Residents say the municipality’s worst roads include Sayers, Tarneit, Point Cook and Derrimut Roads.
Tarneit MP Tim Pallas recently started a petition calling on the government to provide funding for Leakes, Derrimut, Forsyth, Sayers, Point Cook, Heaths and Palmers roads in the state budget.
He also wants the government to create a diamond interchange at Duncans Road, Werribee South and install traffic lights at the intersection of Forsyth and Old Geelong roads, Hoppers Crossing.
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said he would not speculate about what would be included in the budget, to be released on Tuesday, and added that Wyndham’s problems would not be solved immediately.
“Fixing a decade of neglect and poor planning by the former Labor government will not happen overnight.
Unfortunately, instead of investing in roads in the west, the former Labor Government wasted millions of dollars on the desal plant and the botched introduction of Myki. Labor obviously took the people of the west for granted.”
