By XAVIER SMERDON
THE State Government has denied that it intentionally misled Wyndham residents when it applied for Federal funding to build a major interchange in Point Cook.
In May this year the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, announced that the State Government would provide almost half the cost of building a Sneydes Rd interchange if the Federal Government provided the other half.
The total cost of the project was expected to be $40.3 million, but according to the Growth Areas Authority’s Point Cook West Precinct Structure Plan, it would cost $20 million more.
Mr Guy confirmed last week that the application for funding was to build a half diamond interchange and not a full diamond, which includes on and off ramps heading to and from both Geelong and the Melbourne central business district.
Mr Guy told Star that the full diamond interchange would only be completed if land sales of the Werribee Employment precinct were better than expected.
“We’re not trying to mislead people. We were very clear in our language at the time,” Mr Guy said.
“The maximum amount of funding we could ask for through the Suburban Jobs Program was $20 million, which is why we have had to do it this way.
“If we can realise land sales faster than we think then we can possibly build the other ramps at the same time.”
Member for Tarneit, Tim Pallas, said the news was disturbing.
“What they are effectively saying is that the State Government will only be funding a quarter of an interchange for what is likely to be $100 million of land sales,” Mr Pallas said.
“People have a right to be worried about that.”
Mr Guy called on the Federal Government to “stop playing politics” and offer a way forward on the much needed interchange.
“There are ways to be pragmatic in government and if we can solve it by doing the ramps to the city first and then build the other ramps at a later date then that is what we will do,” he said.
“I don’t want to keep arguing about this with the Federal Government. I’m asking her (Prime Minister Julia Gillard) to be a part of the solution.”
