Lack of detail on Federal Government’s station parking promise for Whitehorse, Maroondah
The Federal Government promised to splash the cash to fix the parking woes at eastern suburbs train stations. But 12 months on from the first big announcement, nothing has started. And commuters are getting angry.
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A year after millions of dollars were promised for multi-level carparks in the eastern suburbs, details on when and where they will be built remain scarce.
Deakin federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkar announced last February stations in Whitehorse and Maroondah would get more parking — $15 million was allocated for a multi-level carpark at Mitcham railway station
He then promised further funding for parking upgrades at Heatherdale and Heathmont stations during last May’s election campaign.
The carparks — to cost a total $75 million — are expected to add up to 500 new spaces at Mitcham, Ringwood and Croydon, with a further 300 at Heathmont and 447 expected at Heatherdale.
But frustrated commuters are complaining they’ve been left in the dark on the progress of the plans at Mitcham, while work at Ringwood and Croydon is not expected to start for several months.
In a post on the Whitehorse Leader’s Facebook page, Genevieve Sommers said she had received no further information from Mr Sukkar since finding a leaflet in her letterbox advertising his promise about 12 months ago.
“We haven’t heard a thing about it since,” Ms Sommers wrote. “Where the bloody hell are the parking spaces, Mr Sukkar?”
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Fellow commuter Ben Brown commented: “We don’t remember getting anything more recently from Mr Sukkar telling us how well it’s all going.”
Mr Sukkar said: “We are currently scoping two options for a multi-level carpark at Mitcham station and once confirmed we will have further information on the construction time frame of this important project,” he said.