Knox Council fuming after federal government axes key road, rail projects

The state Labor candidates in the outer east have not commented on the federal government’s decision to cut millions of dollars in funding for key road upgrades.

A plan to spend $50m upgrading Napoleon Rd in Rowville has been scrapped.

State Labor candidates in the outer east have not commented on the federal government’s decision to scrap millions in funding for road upgrades in the outer east.

The Herald Sun revealed $110m for the Wellington Rd duplication, which stretches across the Liberal-held seats of Aston, Casey and La Trobe, is being scrapped by the federal Labor government because it is now estimated to cost $640m.

The planned $50m upgrade of Napoleon Rd between Lysterfield Rd and Kelletts Rd in Rowville has also been scrapped along with a $475m rail line to link Monash University’s Caulfield and Clayton campuses (the first stage of Rowville Rail).

Knox Cr Darren Pearce successfully moved a motion at last Monday night’s council meeting that the council write to local Labor candidates for the seats of Bayswater (Jackson Taylor), Rowville (Mannie Kaur Verma) and Monbulk (Daniela De Martino) in the upcoming state election asking them to disclose their position on the funding cuts before the start pre poll for the election.

Knox Leader asked each of the candidates the following questions:

What is your response to Cr Pearce’s question?

Were you disappointed to see the funding cut for these projects?

Will you lobby the federal government to reinstate the funding?

Do you think Wellington and Napoleon roads need upgrading?

Does Rowville Rail deserve funding? Do you want to see it happen?

Do you think Knox residents will benefit from the Suburban Rail Loop?

The candidates responded as follows:

Jackson Taylor, Labor candidate for Bayswater (current MP)

Jackson Taylor MP speaks in the Legislative Assembly at Parliament House in Melbourne in 2020. Picture: James Ross

“I’m proud to be a strong voice in the Andrews Labor Government for transport projects in Knox.

Locals in Bayswater have made it clear to me that we need to continue to deliver infrastructure investments for the east – we’ve removed two level crossings in Bayswater, delivered funding to fix the Alchester Village and McMahons Road intersections, making them safer for locals, and if we’re re-elected we’ll deliver a $60 million upgrade to Boronia station.

Only Labor is building the North-East Link, massively overhauling the Eastern Freeway and delivering the Suburban Rail Loop and Airport Rail.”

Mannie Kaur Verma, Labor candidate for Rowville

Mannie Kaur Verma.

“The Andrews Labor Government is delivering the infrastructure projects that matter to the Rowville community.

Labor is delivering Stage 2 of the Monash Freeway upgrade – which includes adding new lanes between Warrigal Road and EastLink – and $30 million to upgrade the Burwood Highway and McMahons Road intersection in Ferntree Gully.

Only Labor will deliver the road projects to make journeys quicker, easier and safer for locals in Rowville.”

Daniela De Martino, Labor candidate for Monbulk

Daniela De Martino.

“The Andrews Labor Government is delivering to improve the road and transport infrastructure that locals have made clear are important to them.

The Belgrave Line will be level crossing free from the city to Ferntree Gully – three have already gone and a fourth is underway – and Labor is building a new multi-deck car park with 640 spaces at Belgrave station, as well as delivering 30 new carparking spaces at Upper Ferntree Gully station.

Labor will build the state-shaping Suburban Rail Loop to link every major rail line from Frankston to Werribee via the airport and will deliver $30 million to upgrade the Burwood Highway and McMahons Road intersection in Ferntree Gully.

Only a Labor Government will deliver the infrastructure Victorians need to get home sooner and safer.”

Outer east “shafted” by funding cuts

Knox Council said in a statement Melbourne’s outer east had “been shafted” by the federal government, which had axed major road and public transport infrastructure projects desperately needed to improve safety and ease congestion.

Mayor Cr Susan Laukens described it as a massive blow for Knox and surrounding communities.

“These projects were intended to upgrade two of the worst roads in Knox (Napoleon and Wellington) and deliver critical public transport services,” Cr Laukens said.

“The state of major roads in Knox is a disgrace. Daily our residents are reporting costly damage to their cars from hitting potholes.”

She said successive governments had failed the Knox community.

“We’ve been promised a public transport solution since 1969 and we’re still on a promise,” she said.

“Just before the election the federal government pledged $6 million to begin planning for the trackless tram between Caulfield station and Rowville.

“The money earmarked for Rowville Rail was never enough but it should at least be quarantined to deliver on that business case if it stacks up.”

Aston federal Liberal MP Alan Tudge announced in 2019 $50m to duplicate Napoleon Rd Rowville.

Cr Laukens said the certainty of commuter car parks in Boronia and Ferntree Gully was also under a cloud with a third of the promised car parks being dumped.

Cr Pearce said it was “unfathomable” why the federal Labor government had chosen to kill off the funding for the projects.

“To me this was an act of political bastardry,” he said.

“What it says is, to the voters of Aston, you returned a Liberal MP (Alan Tudge) – here’s the payback, we’re pulling the funding.”

Cr Pearce said voters deserved to know if the state Labor candidates agreed with the federal Labor decision to cut the funding or not.

Cr Marcia Timmers-Leitch said although the decision to withdraw the funding was “incredibly disappointing” she couldn’t support Cr Pearce’s motion because of the “very targeted political nature” of it.

Cr Laukens said she also didn’t feel it was the right way to get the council’s message across.