NEWS DESK
Cash splash on busy Ballarto Road Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au BALLARTO Road has been targeted by the federal government for $30 million “intersection upgrade” works. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the road on 5 February to announce that the funding would be included as part of the upcoming federal budget, to be released in April. Exactly what those upgrades will be are not finalised, but Dunkley MP Chris Crewther said they would focus on “Greenwood Drive, Dion Drive, and Potts Road”. “At a number of different intersections along this road, we are looking to upgrade them so people can get in and out of their residential streets easier. For example that may include lights, lanes so that people can merge with the traffic and not have to sit perpendicular to the intersection, and it may include other upgrades to reduce that congestion,” he said. “So many residents of Carrum Downs, Skye and Sandhurst, along with Skye CFA, have told me how hard it is to get in and out of Ballarto Road to and from their residential streets. So I’ve been fighting for funding to resolve this major congestion issue,” Mr Crewther said. He said one of the potential upgrades was to add “a buzzer so that the Potts Road CFA can control those lights and get out to fires when they need to help,” as they “have been finding it very difficult to get onto the road to fight fires.” He said the $30 million budget for the project was determined through “consultation with council”. Mr Crewther and Mr Morrison both said a state government contribution to the project would be “welcomed”, but Premier Daniel Andrews told media that he had only learned of the federal government’s announcement in the newspaper. Mr Morrison said he had not arranged a meeting with
Cars in slow-mo a no go for Sco Mo: Prime Minister Scott Morrison with MPs Chris Crewther and Alan Tudge announcing a $30 million upgrade to Ballarto Road. Picture: Brodie Cowburn
the Premier prior to making the announcement. “We want Melburnians to get home sooner and safer with help from our Urban Congestion Fund,” Mr Morrison said. “I want people to spend less time stuck in traffic jams and more time at home with their families and working in their businesses, that’s what matters. Chris Crewther has made it clear how much pressure congestion is putting on Bayside families and businesses given how quickly that area of Melbourne is growing. Help is on the way.” Mr Crewther said “if the project is not contracted” in the month between the budget and the federal election, then there is a risk it may not proceed should Labor win the election. He said that the tender process for a project of this scale would “most likely take more than a month”. However, Labor Dunkley candidate Peta Murphy said that “federal Labor can be trusted to work
with the Andrews state government and actually consult with the community to use this $30 million to deliver the improvements to local roads infrastructure that are needed.” As part of her state election campaign, Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny pledged to spend $2.5 million at the intersection of Ballarto Road and Lyrebird Drive to install traffic lights. Frankston mayor Michael O’Reilly said “when this road gets to rush hour, people are sitting in their cars at the intersections trying to get out constantly. Ballarto Road remains congested throughout the day even outside of peak hours, carrying over 12,000 vehicles each day.” “Council has advocated to VicRoads on behalf of concerned residents for a number of years to have Ballarto Road upgraded and today we’re delighted to see the Federal Government is taking action,” he said.
Support for card trial DUNKLEY MP Chris Crewther has said he would be “happy to support” a trial of a cashless welfare card system in Frankston. The system being trialled interstate sees 80 per cent of money from Centrelink payments received by welfare recipients placed onto a card, where it cannot be withdrawn. The money on the card also cannot be used to buy alcohol or on gambling products. The card has been trialled in four regions across Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. Mr Crewther said “the program helps kids get their school books and makes sure money is not used on drugs and alcohol.” “I think this would be a good place to do a trial, I think the community would be supportive. I think all taxpayers would like to see that their money isn’t going towards drugs.” He said Frankston would make a good location for a trial due to it having “one of the highest levels of welfare, much like Blacktown in New South Wales and other discussed trail locations.” Frankston was touted as a potential location for a trial when the program was announced in 2016, but Mr Crewther said no minister has approached him to follow up since then. The program has stirred some controversy, with small protests taking place at some of the trial locations.
Dam drowning death A FRANKSTON man drowned at Baxter Park, Sunday 3 February. Police media advisor Belinda Batty said the 19-year-old failed to surface after swimming with others in a dam just after 3pm. The dam is near Moorooduc Highway in the South Frankston park bordered by FrankstonFlinders and Sages roads. Emergency services crews searched the area for several hours before finding the man’s body in the water just after 6pm. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
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46-48 YOUNG ST, FRANKSTON PH: 9781 4605 Frankston Times
12 February 2019
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