Funeral for port

By Sarah Schwager
LOCAL residents are urging people to get involved before time runs out and stand up against the Port of Hastings development plan.
Residents from Cranbourne, Lynbrook, Hampton Park, Clyde, Pearcedale and the coastal villages have banded together to fight the proposed dredging of the bay and the building of the rail link by forming the Western Port Action Group (WAG).
They plan to stand on the steps of Parliament next month after conducting a mock funeral procession through the city to mark what they say will be the death of Western Port.
The protest is part of WAG’s campaign against the Port of Hastings Land Use and Transport Strategy.
Residents have until 14 March to put in submissions to respond to the plan.
Members of WAG are now asking people to take action and send in letters to the Port of Hastings Corporation (POHC), a draft of which can be found on the group’s website.
President of WAG Mary Madigan said people needed to understand that everyone would be affected, not just those in the south of Casey.
“The railway corridors go all the way into the city,” she said.
“And, for anyone who uses the roads, there are going to be thousands more trucks congesting our arterial roads.
“People just don’t understand how big this is going to be.”
The group has called an urgent public meeting next Wednesday, 28 February in Hampton Park.
Pearcedale resident Fran Royle said she would lose her farm if the proposal went ahead.
Mrs Royle claims the stress of losing her farm, which she and partner Geoff Royle have owned since 1978, gave the family a scare earlier this month when she was taken to hospital after having a heart and lung scare.
The 60-year-old also suffers from asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and angina and says she would not survive the pollution that would come with the development.
“There are going to be freight trains running all day and night.
“You can imagine the amount of pollution and carcinogenic fumes,” she said.
WAG says if the port expansion goes ahead, Dandenong, Pakenham, Stony Point and Frankston passenger lines would be affected, Westernport Highway would be upgraded to a freeway, there would be a new line from Hastings through Clyde and on to Lyndhurst and from Lyndhurst to Gippsland.
“There will be freight trains running right through the middle of Cranbourne,” Ms Madigan said.
She said the diesel freight trains would also congest roads, with cars having to wait for the 1.2 kilometre trains to cross level crossings.
Lynbrook resident Matthew Ridgeway said his house is on the edge of the freight corridor and he is outraged that people’s health could be affected by noise pollution as well as fumes.
“All those fumes. There is a primary school backing onto it,” he said.
Mr Ridgeway said Western Port would also lose its picturesque quality and put the bay’s ecology at risk because of the dredging.
He said the bay would become a hub of shipping tankers.
“They are turning a green wedge area into an industrial area,” he said.
Hampton Park’s Lynette Keleher said soil would be dredged on top of the mangroves.
“With all the climate change and environmental concerns we just can’t do this,” she said.
“We need to be responsible for the future and we need a responsible government.”
The public meeting will be held at 7.30pm next Wednesday at the Arthur Wren Hall in Stuart Avenue, Hampton Park.
Those wanting to protest can go to the city on Tuesday, 13 March to meet at Flinders Street Station at 11am and walk to Parliament.
For more information or for a copy of a draft submission letter see www.westernportactiongroup.com or call 0425 867 079.