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Wednesday 2 March 2016
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Trio triumph
EDITHVALE Life Saving Club is bringing the world to bayside beaches. Tenzin-Cheosang from Tibet, left, Elaha Naziri from Afghanistan and Tsering-Kyi from Tibet are the latest recruits to complete a Life Saving Victoria multicultural water safety program and become lifesavers. Elaha is the first female Afghan living in Victoria to become a lifesaver and the Tibetan duo’s achievement in making the lifesaving grade is also a state first. See story Page 7. Picture: Gary Sissons
Sky rail dissent rises Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au ELEVATED rail along the Frankston line is shaping up as a political minefield for the Labor state government early in its first term in power. Community groups are marshalling opposition to any suggestion socalled sky rail could be built along the Frankston line, as part of the Andrews government’s commitment to removing level crossings, in the wake of the decision to install elevated rail along
sections of the Cranbourne-Pakenham railway line. More than 150 people packed into a meeting at Edithvale Life Saving Club on Sunday (28 February) organised by the ‘No Sky Rail: Frankston Line’ group to voice community concerns about the prospect of elevated rail in bayside suburbs. Residents who live near the rail line are angered that a nine-metre high elevated rail line from Mordialloc to Frankston could be on the cards since this was never mentioned before the
2014 state election. No Sky Rail: Frankston Line group spokesman Willem Popp said the group is troubled by the state government’s sudden announcement of elevated rail for sections of the Cranbourne-Pakenham line and fears that the Frankston line is next for sky rail. “I don’t think it’ll be as attractive and beautiful as the brochures and publicity,” Mr Popp said. “I think it’ll turn into an eyesore in time and I think it’ll just be a concrete railway bridge.”
First term Labor MPs in the marginal seats of Mordialloc, Carrum and Frankston are feeling political heat in the wake of community protests elsewhere over a lack of consultation after the government announced sky rail on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line earlier this month. Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson is understood to have told Premier Daniel Andrews in a Labor Party caucus meeting that sky rail could cost Labor the seat of Mordialloc at the next state election. When contacted by The News Mr
Richardson said he won’t comment on private discussions within caucus but he was comfortable making residents’ views known on elevated rail. “I will always represent the interests of my community and I want everyone to have the opportunity to be involved in shaping the level crossings removals to significantly ease congestion in our local area,” Mr Richardson said. Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny and Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke did not respond to questions about the consultation process. Continued Page 6