Community group rejects government’s $35m plan for Springbank intersection

A $35 million plan to fix a bottleneck on three busy roads has left locals “ropeable” and frustrated with being “sold a pup” a community group says.

The community group pushing for an upgrade at the Goodwood/Springbank/Daws road intersection has rejected the newly announced $35 million plan by the federal and state Liberal governments.

Neil Baron, of the Panorama Clapham Community Group (PCCG), said its modelling had shown retaining the two T-junctions — as proposed by the governments — would result in a “white elephant”.

Mr Baron conceded his group’s modelling was “simplistic” but still “far more detailed than anything the government has produced so far”.

Mitcham Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Neil Baron. Picture: Stephen Laffer

Over the past month, federal Labor and Liberal have each pledged funding to fix the trouble-plagued dogleg should their party win the next election.

The PCCG modelling compares the Liberals’ $35 million double T-junction option with Labor’s $30 million four-way intersection proposal.

“Any responsible government would want to compare the two options so we’re helping them out,” Mr Baron said.

concept images re: the Federal and State Government's $35 million Goodwood/Springbank/Daws intersection upgrade

“People are ropeable right now. They are sick of being sold a pup and they know the government plan is a total waste of money. This is a poor attempt to sell something that is unsellable.”

Mr Baron double T-junctions were being phased out everywhere. “You’ve got a bottleneck now and … you’re still going to have two sets of lights,” he said.

“You’re going to have more north/south traffic flow at the expense of east/west which is currently the problem when you’re trying to get from Daws Rd to Springbank Rd.”

The redesigned intersection of Goodwood, Daws and Springbank roads. Picture: Supplied

Mr Baron was one of more than 100 people who last month attended a community forum to discuss the intersection upgrade with state Transport Minister Stephan Knoll, state MPs Carolyn Power and Sam Duluk, and Nicolle Flint, MP for the marginal federal seat of Boobthy.

“Minister Knoll was repeatedly asked to make public both the modelling and the report he quoted which showed why his double T-junction was the best option but to date it has not been released to the public, “ he said.

Mitcham Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross backed Mr Baron’s call for the release of the traffic modelling.

“Mitcham has asked the State Government for the modelling to be presented at a public briefing (in) April,” Dr Holmes-Ross said.

“We want to understand why the government thinks a staggered intersection is the best option.

“Once we have received the traffic modelling information we will be able to comment on the best option.”

Panorama Clapham Community Group modelling for two proposals for Springbank Road intersection.

She said her council had been lobbying for an upgrade at the intersection for many years and is keen to keep working with government to identify “the best option”.

“Our focus is to improve east/west traffic movement,” she said.

Mr Baron said PCCG had invited all four MPs to its community meeting at the Clapham Primary School at 7pm on Thursday (April 4) but was yet to received an affirmative response.

Dr Heather Holmes-Ross said she would attend the PCCG meeting.