By Christine de Kock
COMMONWEALTH Gameschiefs have put West Footscray station high on their list of preferred starting points for sports fans travelling into the city.
However, while the State Government will shell out thousands of dollars to remove graffiti along the railway line between Richmond and Flinders Street, West Footscray will still be the poor sister.
But Brent Hooley, spokesperson for Commonwealth Games minister Justin Madden, said West Footscray would get more lighting and security.
“We certainly want to make sure people have a safe journey into the city,” he said.
“We will have extra lighting and security – from the first train in the morning and last train at night.”
Mr Hooley would not comment on whether the government would address the poor condition of the station surrounds.
There is no landscaping at the West Footscray entrances, graffiti covers the pillars supporting the Buckley St overpass, and litter is also scattered close to the tracks.
Bluestone Ward councillor Catherine Cumming has campaigned for nine years for an upgrade of the station surrounds.
“The immediate area of the West Footscray station has been an on-going issue about litter, landscaping and graffiti,” she said.
“When Pacific Dunlop moved out, the car park that employees used, which is owned by VicTrack, is used as a dumping ground for garbage bags.
“There needs to be a master plan for the West Footscray station.”
Cr Cumming believed the plan should include upgrades along the line up to the Tottenham station.
Responsibility for the West Footscray station precinct falls under a number of different bodies. Connex is responsible for station platforms and specific areas leased from VicTrack.
VicTrack also had a hand in maintaining the vicinity. VicRoads was responsible for road infrastructure like the Buckley St overpass, which released traffic from Gordon St on to Geelong Rd.
Star raised the issue with Connex last Thursday and spokesperson Andrew Cassidy sent an officer to investigate the tagging problem.
“The only significant graffiti found was on two of the supports for the Geelong Rd bridge,” he said.
“We are not responsible for the removal of graffiti from these structures.
“Some rubbish was observed along a fence line in a neighbouring property that is not part of our lease.”
A VicTrack spokesperson said graffiti would be removed from all structures for which VicTrack was responsible, and litter cleared where possible.
The derelict substation on the site would also be tidied.
“We’ll definitely be doing our best to tidy what is under our responsibility before the games,” the spokesperson said.
VicRoads will not remove graffiti on the bridge supports.
“Graffiti is a significant problem that diverts VicRoads resources away from delivering important road projects,” a spokesperson said.
“While VicRoads does undertake some graffiti removal each year, it is not possible to remedy every instance across the metropolitan area.”
Four-hundred parking spaces on VicTrack land will be made available to commuters at West Footscray station.
Stations at Abbotsford (500 unmarked spaces) and Caulfield (1500 unmarked spaces) have also been listed as preferred locations.
Parking is not available at sporting venues during the Games.
