Ballarat residents taken for a ride over rail gates
It is 402 days since a train with faulty brakes smashed through Ballarat’s Lydiard Street rail gates.
It is nearly 60 days since the Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, swanned into Ballarat announcing heritage-looking boom gates that locals don’t want.
And it is almost two months since the Minister and the Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, promised a slick temporary solution to open Lydiard Street.
Today, the Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said Lydiard Street remains blocked and locals are being treated as a joke.
“The Andrews Government can’t even sort out a temporary solution – eight weeks on – this critical street remains blocked.
“They tinker – they talk. They do everything but what needs to be done.
“And everything they want to do is everything locals don’t want,” Mrs McArthur said.
“In truth, the effort is pathetic.”
Last week – the Premier put out a media release highlighting the Government’s Level Crossing Removal program.
It said: “Before the year’s end, a further 10 level crossings will be a thing of the past…’ and that “In a timeframe of just over three months, five level crossing will be removed and three new stations will be built…”.
“And yet, for 402 days, Ballarat residents haven’t even been able to use this crossing.
“It has been blocked – and a blight on traffic movement and business in the important CBD area. Where are the Government’s big headlines about that?” she asked.
Standing alongside the Minister in Ballarat on the 10th May, in a pre-budget announcement of $10.5 million for the crossing upgrade – Ms Addison said they would “…get Lydiard Street open as soon as possible.”
She also spoke about “detailed plans in place”.
“This is despite the fact that the ATSB investigation hasn’t handed down its final report into why the train failed to stop and sped through the station at 100 kms/hr.
“The same Government refused to discuss the Coate Inquiry until it final report was handed down – and yet here it is – announcing a solution before it knows exactly what happened.
“It’s hypocrisy and it’s typical of this Labor Government,” Mrs McArthur said.
“But worse than that – it has completely ignored the heritage of Ballarat’s CBD and the railway precinct.
“It has pursued boom gates when boom gates offend the heritage precedent.
“And it ignores the locals’ very strong desire for the heritage gates to be restored and returned with modern electronics.
“If they can make boom gates work locally, they can make the heritage gates work.
“We have flown to the moon – and back – if they want to make the gates work, they can. It really isn’t rocket science.
“Today’s message is this: hurry up, open the street and show respect for Ballarat residents and heritage.”
06 July 2021