Rowville rail, health, crime all key issues for Rowville electorate

ROWVILLE rail is the number one issue in the Rowville electorate, yet no major parties are making any commitment to it.

The group "Pro Knox" are campaigning for a rail line to Rowville. Photo of the group on Wellington Rd near the intersection of Stud Rd in Rowville where the rail would go. The group is unhappy the government is not building the line. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

ROWVILLE rail is the number one issue in the Rowville electorate, yet none of the major parties are making any commitment to it as the state election approaches.

Education, health and crime also feature as hot topics in the electorate.

Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells, who was re-elected in the Scoresby electorate comfortably in 2010 on a 14.1 per cent margin, has had his margin cut to 13.1 per cent in this new electorate of Rowville.

Labor’s candidate is Tamika Hicks, who has owned and operated a childcare centre in Rowville for the past seven years.

In 2010, Mr Wells attracted a 5.9 per cent swing, greater than the statewide swing to the Liberals of 3.6 per cent.

This was due to a number of commitments to schools as well as the commitment to undertake a feasibility study into Rowville rail.

The study, which was fully released earlier this year, concluded that the line couldn’t be built without capacity improvements to the Cranbourne-Pakenham line and the metro system, meaning the project could be more than a decade away.

Most of the Rowville electorate is not served by any train lines, with commuters relying heavily on the bus system, which comes under constant fire itself.

Most of the Rowville electorate is not served by any train lines, with commuters relying heavily on the bus system, which comes under constant fire itself.

Mr Wells recently made his strongest commitment yet to the rail project, but stopped short of making a funding commitment.

“If we were to win the election, then I would be pushing very hard to make sure the first bout of funding for the Pakenham-Cranbourne line and the Melbourne rail link are moved on very quickly — and as soon as they are underway I have stronger chance of being able to push to get Rowville rail line started as quickly as possible,” Mr Wells said.

Ms Hicks said the Liberals had made promises they couldn’t keep.

“While there has been no firm commitment given by Labor on a start date, we are not going to promise — as did the Liberal Party four years ago — just to secure a win to the seat,” Ms Hicks said.

“We are however going to improve the rail system throughout the whole of Melbourne.”

Greens candidate Tim Wise said the project wasn’t receiving any funding commitments from the major parties because it was a safe Liberal seat.

“Maybe the capacity isn’t there in the short-term, but there’s no reason there couldn’t be a funding commitment at this election,” Mr Wise said.

With a string of polls suggesting the Coalition would lose government, Mr Wells, who has held the seat in its various forms since 1992, said he would continue to be a strong advocate for the area from Opposition.

“However, I am very confident we will win this election,” Mr Wells said.