By Michael Newhouse
THE Victorian Liberal Party has brushed aside community criticism of its level crossings policy, which fails to mention two notorious St Albans intersections, saying the St Albans crossings are on the agenda – but not this year.
Terry Mulder, Opposition transport spokesperson said although his party’s policy did not include a plan to fix either of the two St Albans level crossings – at Main Rd and Furlong Rd – the party would look at them if elected.
“There are 177 level crossings across Victoria and, unfortunately, we can’t do them all,” Mr Mulder said in a statement to Star last week.
“We recognise the importance specifically of the St Albans level crossing, and it will be one we will be looking at in the future,” he said, without elaborating further.
The Victorian Liberal Party last month released a plan to remove five level crossings across Melbourne – in Nunawading, Ormond, Blackburn, Bayswater and Frankston.
Three people were killed instantly in 2004 when a train crashed into their car while it was stuck on the tracks at the Furlong Rd crossing.
Asip Demiri, a St Albans businessman and crossing campaigner, criticised the Liberal policy but, at the same time, said Labor had to shoulder most of the blame for the on-going lack of action over the rail crossings.
“I think Ted Baillieu’s made a big mistake to be quite honest,” Mr Demiri said, insisting that people from across Melbourne now recognised the St Albans level crossing as major trouble spot.
“We’ve had seven deaths in the time that Steve Bracks has been in government,” he said.
“Nowhere – no other suburbs, no other level crossing in the state, or in the country, can claim to have that many deaths,” Mr Demiri said.
However, Labor MP Telmo Languiller, whose Derrimut electorate includes the Furlong Rd crossing, said the St Albans problem was primarily a traffic management issue.
“We recognise there is an issue of traffic congestion,” he said.
Mr Languiller said Peter Batchelor’s plan, as Minister for Transport, to divert traffic from Main Rd and Furlong Rd was the best way to manage the busy level crossings.
“I know that people have spoken about other measures, but we are confident this is the best measure people can come up with,” he said.
