Member for Northern Victoria Region, Candy Broad has called on the Minister for Roads, Terry Mulder to explain to communities in Kilmore and Wallan exactly how a local road and a bypass are one and the same thing.
Ms Broad brought to the attention of the Parliament yesterday a media release from the Premier's office of 10 May this year regarding the Wallan-Kilmore bypass, in which the Minister for Roads, Mr Mulder is quoted as saying:
“The local community wanted a bypass, we promised a bypass, and we're delivering a bypass”.
She said that the Minister for Roads also referred to rejection of the former Labor Government's plan to use existing local roads.
“Given that the Baillieu-Ryan Gvernment has now released route options for the Wallan-Kilmore bypass that utilise existing local roads, I call on the Minister for Roads to explain to the communities of Kilmore and Wallan exactly how a local road and a bypass can be one and the same thing”, Ms Broad said.
Ms Broad told Parliament that last week she had spent several hours travelling on local roads within the township of Kilmore that are included as proposed routes for the Wallan-Kilmore bypass by the Baillieu-Ryan Government.
“The inclusion of these local roads, which is causing enormous distress to affected land-holders and to the Wallan and Kilmore communities, is seen as an act of utter betrayal by these communities and is clearly at odds with the promise made to these communities by the Liberals and The Nationals prior to the last state election”, she said.
Ms Broad called on Mr Mulder to take the time to travel with representatives of local communities on these local roads to see how these communities will be affected if the Government insists on going ahead with this act of betrayal by putting these routes through the homes and farms of community members and through nature reserves, and in the process affecting not only families by causing distress to the communities but also impacting on endangered species.