WYNDHAM’S roads could soon become even more congested with news that more than 700,000 trucks could pass through the municipality every year.
Prime Minister and Member for Lalor, Julia Gillard, announced last week that her government would partly fund a $5 million pre-feasibility study into building a Western Interstate Freight Terminal (WIFT) in Truganina.
The State Government will supply $1.5 million to help fund the study.
Ms Gillard said the freight terminal would remove the need for interstate trains and trucks to enter the Port of Melbourne precinct and reduce heavy freight traffic in the inner West.
“This funding will be used to determine whether the project is an appropriate solution to eliminate unnecessary freight movements, ease congestion and take more than 700,000 trucks a year off our City’s roads,” she said.
“If, after careful consideration, the plan is approved, the project will create an interstate terminal and freight precinct at Truganina, as well as a link to the Interstate Rail Freight Network.”
But Samantha McArthur, President of the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG), which has fought for years to get trucks of Maribyrnong’s residential streets, said the WIFT could just be “passing the buck”.
“From what we’ve read it will take about 2000 trucks a day off Maribyrnong’s roads, but that’s not great if it is at the expense of another community,” Ms McArthur said.
“They are saying that 700,000 trucks would come out of Yarraville and Maribyrnong so if you do the math I imagine that will have an effect on Wyndham.”
Ms McArthur said there were currently 20,000 trucks using Maribyrnong’s residential streets every day, which made them less safe.
“What we’ve found from other examples of freight terminals is that there tends to be a massive amount of complaints from residents living nearby about pollution,” she said.
“It’s not just the trucks that are the problem; it’s something we can’t see. We know that Maribyrnong has the highest number of incidents for respiratory admissions in Melbourne.
“It’s difficult for people who haven’t lived with it to envisage. I hope they’re not just passing the buck further out West.”
Ms McArthur it took years of fighting for the MTAG to get truck curfew times put in place throughout Maribyrnong.
