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Transport plan bypasses GippslandThe Member for Eastern Victoria, Philip Davis, the Brumby Government’s transport plan had left Gippsland on bypass. By Kevin Balshaw - 10th December 2008 - Back to News The Member for Eastern Victoria, Philip Davis, the Brumby Government’s transport plan had left Gippsland on bypass.
Mr Davis said despite being critically in need of improved train and local public transport services, and road upgrades and maintenance, Gippsland would see little more than loose change from Premier Brumby’s $38 billion plan.
He said the $4 billion regional rail link component of the plan would be spent mostly on train services for Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
Additionally, the construction of duplicated tracks to provide separate lines and ease congestion for country passenger trains as they enter the metropolitan area would benefit only services from west and central Victoria that ran through Werribee and Sunshine.
"Nothing is proposed in the detail so far made available to ease the bottleneck that slows down Gippsland trains beyond Pakenham," Mr Davis said.
"The Government has blanked out Gippsland on the map of Victoria.
"We have seen recent proof that rail services on the Gippsland line are the worst performing long distance services in the state, and the introduction of a major rail tourism program in which Gippsland again missed out.
"That a transport plan of the magnitude of the one released this week could completely exclude a major region of the state confirms the Government’s sole focus is the metropolitan area and the large regional centres in its immediate vicinity."
Mr Davis said the road component of the plan—a $5.2 billion package of state funding for regional roads and AusLink projects—also offered nothing specific for Gippsland’s road network.
The bulk of the road funding will go to the Western Highway, Geelong Ring Road and the Princes Highway West.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: kevin.balshaw@parliament.vic.gov.au
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