Mount Alexander Road Campaign Group * Royal Park Protection Group Inc.

MEDIA RELEASE 15 MAY 2008

COMMUNITY GROUPS SLAM GOVERNMENT ROAD TUNNEL PLANS

The Mt Alexander Road Campaign Group (MARCG) and the Royal Park Protection Group Inc. (RPPG), representing inner city residents and environmentalists, today condemned the Brumby Government’s plans to extend the Eastern Freeway in a road tunnel under inner city suburbs and through Royal Park. Groups are mobilising to protest at Debney’s Park Flemington on Sunday week 25 May 2008.

Julianne Bell, RPPG Convenor, explains: “The Premier claims to be “consulting” the people of Melbourne over the Eddington report but construction of the Tunnel (a key recommendation) appears to be a fait accompli. It has been a project waiting to happen for 9 years. In fact current plans appear remarkably similar to those proposed by Jeff Kennett when Premier. Labor MPs have, however, consistently denied that the Tunnel would proceed. Bronwyn Pike, Member for Melbourne, stated in an interview with a local paper prior to the last election in November 2006 that: ‘…there are no plans for a freeway through Royal Park, there are no plans for a tunnel under Royal Park.’ In fact she said that people suggesting that the Government had already decided were ‘…very irresponsible and are stirring up unnecessary dissent and controversy.’ It is our opinion that the Government is once again supporting a ‘big end of town’ Public Private Partnership project that will generate profits for a consortium backed by financial interests at the expense of the Victorian public.

Gab Pretto, MARCG spokesperson, says: “The protest on 25 May at Debney’s Park will be against both the 22-storey Travancore development on Mt Alexander Road and the Tunnel, which threaten to create a traffic nightmare for five Melbourne suburbs. The tunnel project may require flyovers around the intersection of Flemington and Racecourse Rds, massive quarry and building sites in Kensington and West Parkville, have entrances and exits at sites yet to be revealed plus huge tunnel stacks. The net impact of the two projects will be to create traffic gridlock, a more degraded environment and lower property values.”

RPPG and MARCG claim that Melbourne desperately needs an invigorated fully publicly-owned, public transport system to deal with Mr Brumby’s traffic and public transport chaos and to face up to the dangers of climate change. We will be calling for Government to keep its hands off our precious parkland and to protect residential amenity of the inner suburbs.

The Debney’s Park community protest is scheduled to begin at 1p.m. Sunday 25 May next to Flemington Community Centre. Speakers include planning and transport expert Dr Paul Mees. Rod Quantock will be MC. Entertainment and a BBQ will be provided.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Gab Pretto MARCG on 0411 060 059 and Julianne Bell RPPG on 0408022408.