By LIA SPENCER
TRAFFIC is set to ease on parts of the Monash Freeway after a multimillion dollar investment by the Federal Government, but Casey Council and local residents are not impressed.
The Federal Government released its Budget on Tuesday night and announced it has allocated $68.6 million to upgrade the Intelligent Transport System on the 29.4 kilometres section of the Monash Freeway (M1) from Warrigal Road to Clyde Road, Berwick.
The work will include additional sensors to help improve traffic flow, more variable speed signs and the use of the hard shoulder for additional capacity.
But Casey Council believes the works are not enough to ease traffic woes.
City of Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon said the council was disappointed that no funding was received from either the Federal or State Governments through the 2013-14 Budgets to undertake major road improvement works in the City of Casey.
“Council acknowledges that funds allocated towards the Intelligent Transport System will provide some relief to the increasingly congested traffic conditions and will enhance safety of the Monash Freeway,” she said.
“However, council believes that significant east-west capacity improvements are still required to the Monash Freeway and other east-west connections across Casey to manage the daily traffic commute for Casey workers.”
Cr Stapledon said the council had a priority list of state road duplication and intersection upgrades that needs to be urgently undertaken in Casey and would continue to advocate on behalf of residents to the Federal and State Governments and work with them to ensure the city’s transport infrastructure keeps pace with growth.
“Council’s top priorities are to upgrade the intersection of South Gippsland Highway/ Hallam Road/ Evans Road, upgrade the intersection of Thompsons Road/ Western Port Highway and the full duplication of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road,” she said.
Many Casey residents also complained on the Cranbourne Berwick News Facebook page about the Federal Government’s multi-million dollar Monash Freeway move.
Many wrote that variable speeds were not required and adding extra lanes would have been more beneficial to Casey residents rather than upgrading the Intelligent Transport System.
One person wrote: “It’s a waste of money as usual. Better off adding two extra lanes for the Hallam bypass and sensor light for East Link exit since that part causes the traffic jams.”
Another wrote: “Extra lanes from the merge to Clyde Road would help. Berwick, Cranbourne and Pakenham are all growing very quickly. It’s only going to get worse. How about they ask the people who live out this way what they think would improve the road, we drive on it.”
The Federal Government has also allocated $30 million for the duplication of Clyde Road in Berwick between High Street and Kangan Drive.
Anthony Albanese, Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, said the Federal Government was both “building and planning for Victoria’s future.”
Liberal candidate for Holt Ricardo Balancy said the Budget was not very helpful for residents in the Holt electorate.
“At a time when Australians are desperately seeking stable and competent economic management, the Budget just delivers more chaos, debt and spin,” Mr Balancy said.
“For Holt families, this budget does nothing to help deal with cost of living pressures, economic uncertainty and poor services.
“They promised no carbon tax and a surplus. Instead we got a carbon tax, record deficits and in this Budget, Labor scrapped tax cuts, family payments and the baby bonus.”
