By Charlene Macaulay
Construction of four new Wyndham Regional Rail Link (RRL) stations and a metropolitan rail link from Wyndham Vale to Werribee were among the top items on Wyndham council’s wish list during a trip to Canberra last week.
Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grigsby and councillor Henry Barlow went to the nation’s capital to call for more federal investment in rail and infrastructure ahead of the federal election as part of the National Growth Areas Alliance-led Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs campaign.
The pair met up with the Federal Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge, and Labor’s Anthony Albanese.
Ms Grigsby said apart from the new RRL stations and metropolitan rail link between Wyndham Vale and Werribee, she and Cr Barlow advocated for:
•Fast-tracking of an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road;
•Ongoing funding for four-year-old kindergarten;
•Funding towards the new Sunshine and Geelong rail connection via Wyndham;
•Increased capacity on the Werribee line, improving peak services and capacity;
•$11 million to complete the modernisation and upgrade of the pipeline for the Werribee Irrigation District;
•More commuter parking at Wyndham train stations; and
•New and expanded bus services.
Wyndham council is one of 21 councils across Australia to be part of the National Growth Areas Alliance, which lobbies both the state and federal governments for increased funding for roads, transport, local jobs and community facilities in fast-growing outer suburbs.
The trip follows the release of Wyndham council’s 2019-20 state budget wish list, in which it called for new schools, train stations and the removal of the Hoppers Crossing level crossing.
