North East Link Authority blocks comments on Facebook page but says it was done in error

OPPONENTS of North East Link Option A have been blocked from commenting about the proposed corridors in online forums.

Residents protesting against the North East Link at the Banyule Flats. Some opponents of Option A now say they’ve been blocked from commenting in online forums. Picture: Supplied.

OPPONENTS of North East Link Option A have been blocked from commenting about the proposed corridors in online forums.

But the North East Link Authority said it encouraged debate and people had been blocked “in error”.

The controversy erupted after protesters allegedly asked the authority if it would be sharing the Victorian Transport Authority’s support for Option C via its Facebook page.

Say No To Option A founder Lorrae Willox said people had been blocked after posting questions about the VTA’s preference for Option C.

Mary Harnan, a member of protest group Residents United Against NELA, said she had been banned from posting after writing that North East Link was a freeway for freight and the VTA’s preference was important for people­ to understand.

“I was subsequently banned from posting on the page. A few of other members also tried to post this and they have been banned.”

North East Link Authority’s chief executive Duncan Elliott said the organisation encouraged discussion on preferred corridor options.

“After receiving multiple posts with identical text, some people were blocked on our Facebook page,” he said.

“As soon as we recognised this error, we rectified the situation and unblocked these people.”

Mr Elliott said the authority had responded to previous posts about the VTA in threads that remain on their Facebook page.

Peter Anderson, president of the Victorian Transport Association, said Option A was not the best option to improve freight efficiency.

Meanwhile a Bulleen woman is worried the link could affect her home.

Melissa Keogh said the lack of available information created a sense of limbo.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to who has attended a meeting says they’re not getting any information out of it,” she said.

Mr Elliott said it wasn’t possible to know which properties would be affected until a preferred corridor was chosen. He said they wanted to minimise impact on properties, green spaces and the community.