An open letter to the Victorian Parliament

Mar 6, 2019 – The Victorian Parliament must support the passage of legislation for the West Gate Tunnel project.

Prior to the election, the West Gate Tunnel received bi-partisan support from both the Andrews Government and the Liberal National Coalition for good reason – it’s good for the West and for all Melbournians.

Using parliamentary processes to change the way this much-needed project is funded will just leave taxpayers footing the bill.

Victorians don’t want to see political games from their elected representatives – they want congestion busting, economy boosting infrastructure.

The West Gate Tunnel has an agreed contract, with the first Tunnel Boring Machine on site and new lanes well underway on the West Gate Freeway.

Any attempt to change the funding arrangements for West GateTunnel risks knocking Victoria down from first to third-class investment destination.

The West Gate Tunnel will:

Remove 9000 truck trips from local roads,

Connect Victorian producers to global markets, via the Port of Melbourne,

Dramatically cut commuting times from the western suburbs and Geelong to free up capacity across the network,

Prevent crashes on the West Gate Bridge shutting down Melbourne and blocking access to the west, and

Create over 6000 jobs.

With Victoria, especially the western suburbs and Geelong, growing at a phenomenal rate, we need investments in projects like the West Gate Tunnel to support the community.

The Victorian Parliament must support the West Gate Tunnel legislation and give Melbourne the infrastructure it needs and deserves.

Yours Sincerely,