The Growth Areas Authority’s plans for the Manor Lakes Precinct Structure Plan. 82882
By XAVIER SMERDON
ONE of Wyndham’s busiest roads will only be upgraded as development of a new suburb occurs and not beforehand, according to VicRoads.
Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, announced last week that six new suburbs on Melbourne’s fringe would be developed to accommodate for population growth.
Mr Guy approved the development of the Manor Lakes Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) which will allow the development of around 4850 new homes for 13,500 new residents in the area.
“Manor Lakes in Wyndham will feature two state primary schools, two large new recreation reserves, a local town centre and an important new north-south arterial road for 13,500 new residents over the next 30 years,” Mr Guy said.
Mr Guy held off, however, on an expected announcement of a Point Cook West PSP until plans were made for transport and employment infrastructure.
According to the Growth Areas Authority’s plans for the Manor Lakes PSP, VicRoads is the lead agency in charge of upgrading Ballan Rd in Wyndham.
VicRoads Regional Director of Metro North West, Patricia Liew, said an upgrade of Ballan Rd would be done bit by bit.
“VicRoads will progressively upgrade sections of Ballan Road as development occurs, with land and infrastructure improvements in the area to be addressed through future development contributions,” Ms Liew said.
“Planning has also been done for a future duplication of Ballan Road.”
Manor Lakes resident and former truck driver Greg Byrne, who has been running a campaign to upgrade Wyndham’s roads, and in particular Ballan Rd, for almost a year, said the announcement was “pathetic”.
“I’ve lived in the area for 32 years and in that time Ballan Rd has seen way more traffic than it was when I moved here and it just hasn’t kept up,” Mr Byrne told Star.
“I don’t believe an upgrade will be done in the next 10 years.
“I hope to God I’m wrong, but it’s only a matter of time before we get a really bad fatality on Ballan Rd.”
