Angry residents fight against Newport road closure

The Andrew government’s plan to close a main link joining two suburbs has outraged residents, with some claiming it will endanger more lives.

Residents are frustrated that they will be forced to divert if Champion Rd is closed between Newport and Williamstown.

It was lauded as a solution to improve road safety and ease congestion during peak hour – but not everyone is a fan of the Andrews government’s plan to remove level crossings.

Hundreds of residents and operators along the Werribee train line, servicing Melbourne’s west, are fighting to keep a main thoroughfare joining Newport and Williamstown open to motorists.

Champion Rd, which carried about 3500 vehicles per day between 2019-20 according to Hobsons Bay City Council, will not re-open to traffic after the crossing is removed.

Data showed an additional thousand motorists used the road prior to the pandemic.

Newport mother Amy Roil told the Herald Sun she believed the closure would put motorists and pedestrians at increased risk on the roads.

She said drivers would be forced from their usual route to either Melbourne or Maddox roads.

The election promise, announced back in 2014 and renewed in subsequent campaigns, has seen the number of level crossings to be removed grow from 50 in 2022 to 110 by 2030.

“Here’s the issue with that: there’s already a huge amount of traffic on Melbourne Rd so this would drive even more cars onto there,” Mrs Roil said.

“On the other side is Maddox Rd, which has three daycares and a school. It’s already so dangerous at pick-up and drop-off during peak hour.

“This will make that so much worse. I swear it is going to kill a child, which is worse than a level crossing still existing.”

Hundreds of residents gather at the Champion Rd rail crossing in Newport to protest the state government's planned closing of the crossing.

But the Premier’s office brushed off the criticism, saying it was considering a new link through Akuna Drive to restore the local connection. Design options are yet to be finalised.

“In Newport, the boom gates are down for up to 47 minutes of the morning peak – between 7:00am to 9:00am,” a Victorian Government spokesman said.

“It is not feasible to remove the Champion Rd level crossing by grade separation – the rail line can’t be elevated or lowered at Champion Rd without interfering with the Newport rail junction and stabling yards.”

Newport Traders Association president Gill Gannon, who operates a business and lives in the area, predicts the closure will “divide the community.”

“Our biggest concern is that it appears a decision has been made already,” she said.

“(The plan) was communicated as though it’s a done deal, without any consultation with key stakeholders,” Mrs Gannon said.

She said similar issues were experienced 15 years ago when an underground oil leak forced Champion Rd closed for a year, blowing out her morning school run from a total five minutes to up to 30 minutes each way.

“It did put the other surrounding roads under pressure. There were a lot less cars on the road back then. The numbers they’re looking at are historical and not future,” she said.

“We’re talking thousands of vehicles that currently use that road and that’s not even taking into account the huge developments happening in this area.”

Level crossings at Hudsons and Maddox roads will also be removed by building elevated rail bridges. A level crossing at Anderson St, Yarraville is also marked for closure.

A timeline for the project is yet to be confirmed.