Trust, cynicism and plan B: a saga of delays and waning trust
APRIL 25 2021
Ballarat Courier
Beverley McArthur MP
Ballarat residents have every reason to feel angry and cynical about the Victorian Government's handling of the Ballarat Station heritage rail gates at Lydiard Street.
On May 30th 2020 - almost a year ago - a V/Line train from Melbourne was unable to brake, sped through the station at 100kms/hr and smashed through the heritage rail gates before coming to a stop down the line.
The fault was never with the gates. The fault was always with the train - and we await the ATSB final report into what happened.
In the meantime, political games and utter stupidity have reigned supreme on this matter.
Motorists and CBD businesses have been unable to use one of the city's major thoroughfares: a frustration for traffic flow and a financial impediment for traders and businesses in the area.
However, this week, the Department of Transport and V/Line have come up with Plan B: boom gates as a temporary remedy to open the level crossing.
12 months and Plan B is the best they can do.
They promise the boom gates are not forever. They say they understand the heritage value of the precinct. They say they value the public's entrenched desire for replica gates to be reinstated.
Two things emerge from Plan B.
The first is: why didn't they do this straight away after the accident to allow the crossing - and Lydiard Street - to be used? If it is temporary - why wait 12 months to install them?
Secondly: it is now a matter of trust.
The Andrews Government, and its transport boffins, have long considered the heritage gates a pain in their bureaucratic bottoms. The gates are controlled from Melbourne and take effort to operate.
In contrast, the operation of boom gates is localised and immediate. Melbourne is not involved.
The question Ballarat residents need to be asking is do they trust this Government to do the right thing? Do they trust them to put up temporary boom gates and take them down?
It has been long known that replica gates are available for this site. Even without them, there was a plethora of offers from skilled artisans at the time of the train crash to manufacture a set.
Such is the affection and cultural worth of these heritage gates.
In essence, the gates have always been available one way or other, but this Government - and its very silent local representatives - have tried to make this issue look very difficult.
It is not.
Just around the corner this week, those silent Labor MPs, Juliana Addison and Michaela Settle, were busy posing for the cameras at the $100 million GovHub.
So clearly, money is not the issue here. Nor is access to heritage gates.
The issue is trust and desire.
I urge every Ballarat resident to watch this space very closely. I congratulate those residents who continue the fight for the right outcome.
I also congratulate The Courier for its resolve in finding the truth, asking the tough questions relentlessly and a real desire to get a result for the Ballarat community.
If the Andrews Government puts boom gates in, they also need to take them out.
Plan A was very doable 12 months ago. The heritage gates could have been installed immediately.
Then again, an A-grade plan isn't what a B-grade team seems capable of.
Beverley McArthur is the Member for Western Victoria Region in Victoria's upper house