Hi all,
Labor opposing East West Link - good news, at least for me.
There is no contract signed yet - so all uncertainty claims are quite
strange. It is up to the government in power to create certainty - by
waiting with the contracts until after the election.
The process is before the courts because the link did not go through a
proper planning, assessment and consultation process yet. The lack of
process created the uncertainty.
So the government can correct it by honouring process. This would make it
a decision made by a government which asked for a mandate from the
electorate.
Below my letter to Terry Mulder (terence.mulder(a)parliament.vic.gov.au)
Maybe you would like to contact him too?
Thanks
Peter
Dear Terry,
the Labor decision to dump the East West Link is a good one for us in
Melbourne.
Please cancel the project if you care for Victoria. It may save hundred of
millions or billions of dollars of claims when the project finally ends in
the bin, as it should.
The East West Link is not a properly planned project. I contacted you before
about my concerns. Some of the events and claims are truly bizarre if you
are familiar with the area as I am.
I work in Kensington. I frequently use the bike track along the Mooney Ponds
Creek you want to overshadow with another bunch of lanes. I also spend a lot
of time waiting for and in trains from and to Craigieburn and Upfield which
never go on time.
It is not a surprise that the whole case is before the courts. The rush to
lock it in resulted in a shoddy process which defies logic and did never
satisfy requirements of proper consulting with the public. Even now, the
design is still work in progress, and some of the "corrections" over time
looked as professional as me designing a model train with my son. How can
this being assessed? How can the community have a sufficient input in this
process?
How can you sign contracts with this uncertainty? It will be a liability for
any future government and all Victorians.
A tender process where you continue with one bidder only is another detail
not making sense. I never do that if I want a good deal.
You were elected with the Liberals claiming support for the Metro Rail Link.
You did not advance the project. Instead it became another train wreck of
"planning on the run".
Please bring that back into action instead of tinkering with the East West
Link if you want to do something for Victoria.
Thank you
Peter
[contact details]
