Andrews government slams Coalition train station carpark package

Twenty-four of the Coalition’s 28 proposed Melbourne train station carparks are in Liberal held seats.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews with Jacinta Allan. Picture: AAP.

The Andrews government has slammed the federal Coalition’s $383m “congestion busting” Melbourne train station carpark package for focusing on seats held by the Liberal Party at the expense of some of the fastest-growing postcodes in Australia.

Twenty-four of 28 proposed train station carparks are in Liberal seats, with no carparks proposed on the Cranbourne, Sunbury and Werribee train lines, which go to key growth areas in predominantly safe Labor territory.

The Brighton Beach, Glenferrie, Camberwell, Canterbury and Surrey Hills train stations — all in leafy Liberal-held eastern suburban seats — all feature on the Coaltion’s list.

Victorian Labor has also questioned where the Coalition intends to build the carparks, with no state rail land available at many of the stations.

“The fact that the Prime Minister for Sydney’s list today does not include one car park for the west of Melbourne, the fastest growing area in the nation, shows this is no more than a political stunt,” Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said.

Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge, whose outer eastern suburban electorate of Aston will receive two train station carparks, said the park-and-ride facilities across seven train lines would take 13,000 cars off the road each day.

He told ABC radio Melbourne’s western suburbs would benefit from the airport rail link.

“We do want to encourage people to take the train because that takes pressure off our roads, but to encourage them, you have to provide the parking opportunities and a lot of these car parks are full very early in the morning,” Mr Tudge said.

Train station car park expansions pledge * Ferntree Gully * Boronia * Heathmont * Ringwood * Heatherdale * Mitcham * Croydon * Surrey Hills * Canterbury * Glenferrie * Camberwell * Frankston * Kananook * Seaford * Bentleigh * Sandringham * Hampton * Brighton Beach * North Brighton * Elsternwick * Balaclava * Pakenham * Beaconsfield * Berwick * Narre Warren * Craigieburn * South Morang * Hurstbridge

— With AAP