Labor fails to back extension of tram route 48 from North Balwyn to Doncaster Hill

THE Labor candidate for Bulleen’s push for a tram to Doncaster Hill has veered off track after he ditched a photo opportunity at the last minute.

Labor candidate for Bulleen Adam Rundell

THE Labor candidate for Bulleen has backed away from claims he would like to see a tram line extended from North Balwyn to Doncaster Hill.

Adam Rundell previously told Manningham Leader he was pushing to have Labor commit to a plan to have the Route 48 from the city to North Balwyn continue to Westfield Doncaster and link with Doncaster Park and Ride.

Mr Rundell yesterday cancelled a media opportunity and photo 30 minutes before the agreed time, after campaign organisers advised him against it.

In a voice message to Leader Mr Rundell said: “I received advice from campaign organisers from HQ (headquarters) that they didn’t want to create a conflict of interest, where Labor Party policy is not at the moment to extend the tram line, and has the local candidate publicly voicing their support of it.”

The line, which terminates at Doncaster Rd, near Balwyn Rd, has been part of Manningham’s continuing public transport debate for the last 15 years.

Public Transport Users Association deemed Doncaster Hill a failure without the tram line extension or rail in 2007.

Association president Tony Morton said it was still a logical extension to a major activity centre.

“It means you would enormously improve the accessibility of Doncaster Hill and serve the park and ride there,” he said.

“This is just one example all over suburban Melbourne where trams terminate in the middle of nowhere, often a kilometre or two short of a logical terminus.”

He said public transport groups had been advocating for the extension since 1999.

“The downside is cost and it would require an engineering study,” he said.

Greens candidate for Eastern Metropolitan Samantha Dunn said it was part of the Greens public transport plan to “fill the missing links across Melbourne’s tram network”.

Ms Dunn said the 4.5km extension would cost about $15 million per kilometre.

“The way we have done it is to provide $840 million to 17 extensions across Melbourne,” she said.

“Whenever they were constructed, communities thought they would be finished or extended and they never were.

“This line is a great example of that.”