By Ruza Zivkusic
“WE’LL stick it right up them” is the slogan of action groups representing the concerns of the West who formed a coalition on Sunday to lobby the Government to address the many issues in the western suburbs.
About eight groups represented their views at the Stop the Neglect of the West rally, held under the E.J. Whitten statue at Whitten Oval in Footscray.
The coalition, organised within two weeks, reflected the many issues people in the West were facing on a day-to-day basis.
Representatives from Western Region Disability Network, Sunshine Women’s Association, Ardeer Community Play Ground, Planning Backlash, Brimbank Public Land Action Group, Sunshine Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (SunRAA), Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) and Wyndham Action Planners spoke during the two-hours long rally.
The start of the long-time campaign was proof of history making in the West, SunRAA member John Hedditch told the crowd of more than 60 people.
He spoke about the low-income issues, transport problems, lack of recreation and leisure outlets, homelessness and environmental issues.
“Today we’re forming an alliance so we can get together and identify what people really want,” Mr Hedditch said.
“People in the West want to be able to catch a train and not feel like they’re travelling in a sardine tin. People want to be able to cross the railway line and not feel that their life is at risk.”
Another SunRAA member, Sean Spencer, said institutionalised neglect meant the West had “the least-alented, laziest sitting members doing nothing for their communities”.
“Schools are falling down around our children’s ears,” Mr Spencer said.
“When Labor starts fixing schools, will the funds be equally distributed across the state?”
Mr Spencer said a life needed to be lost and another person seriously injured earlier this year in order to get the Government to start installing a pedestrian crossing with lights outside Sunshine Hospital in Furlong Rd, Sunshine.
Lori McLean of Wyndham Action Planners said the group had campaigned for two years, gathering about 10,000 signatures to protest the lack of police in the City of Wyndham. She said the signatures were tabled in Parliament but the group had not received a response from the Government.
“Two years ago we were promised a second police station for Werribee as the growth rate is the second-largest in Australia … this has never eventuated,” she said.
MTAG president Peter Knight said the Government ignored the community’s call for the removal of through traffic on streets in the seats of Footscray and Williamstown.
SunRAA president Darlene Reilly said the coalition would become a force and voice for the West.
“Out of this very ground in his last game Teddy Whitten pleaded and asked his players to inspire him,” she said.
“‘You got to inspire me and show guts and determination,’ he is quoted as saying.
“Well, we are asking our politicians to inspire us and we will show the guts and determination to fight the political injustice we continue to experience,” Ms Reilly said.
