Cranbourne residents Alan and Joan White, Ken Leemon, Marie Adam and Alf Klavins met with Shadow Minister for Transport Terry Mulder this week to discuss their concerns over the duplication of Sladen Street.By Alison Noonan
A CRANBOURNE residents’ group has vowed to continue their fight against VicRoads’ plans for the duplication of Sladen Street.
Sladen Park Residents’ Action Group member Ken Leemon said locals were up in arms over VicRoads’ designs for the intersection of O’Tooles Road and Sladen Street.
Mr Leemon said traffic would be blocked from turning right into Cranbourne Town Centre from O’Tooles Road if traffic lights were installed at the Cemetery Road/Fairbairn Road intersection.
He said that by forcing all traffic to turn left at busy O’Tooles Road, proceed to the inside of the west bound lane and make a U-turn at the new traffic lights, VicRoads was creating a traffic nightmare.
Mr Leemon said recent meetings with representatives from VicRoads and Casey council had proved fruitless, leaving residents feeling frustrated and neglected.
“We have been ignored without proper explanation,” he said.
“We are disillusioned and disgruntled by the lack of interest shown by VicRoads and council and have not received a great deal of cooperation from either party.
“VicRoads didn’t even send a representative to our second public meeting, which was a slap in the face to us.
“We are being treated unfairly.”
He said a recent visit to the area by Shadow Transport Minister Terry Mulder had renewed residents’ hopes of a positive outcome. “Mr Mulder came out to view the site and has already written to the relevant authorities in relation to the issues we raised.
“He will help us campaign to keep the intersection at O’Tooles Road and we were very happy with the meeting.
“I have no doubt his visit will cause things to happen,” he said.
Mr Mulder said he could not understand why VicRoads would not listen to the 146 families affected by the proposed road closure.
“I can’t understand why VicRoads wouldn’t allow a break in the median strip because there is plenty of space,” Mr Mulder said.
“They also have the advantage of traffic lights which creates a natural break in the traffic, making it easy to perform a right hand turn.
“Residents will be so inconvenienced. It just seems senseless.”
Mr Mulder said he had written to VicRoads and Transport Minister Peter Batchelor requesting urgent assistance in the matter.
“I will do all I can to help residents because VicRoads seem so unwilling to compromise,” he said.
“Residents feel that no one is interested in listening to them or taking up their fight so at the end of the day all we can do is try.”
VicRoads failed to respond to calls by the News by the time of print.
