Cash call for

By Lia Bichel
“It is unrealistic to expect the Government to be able to deliver all the upgrades immediately and an ongoing substantial funding program will be required to address the transport backlog,” he said.
The RACV has nominated what it considers “necessary upgrades” in its Outer Melbourne Connect Report. It identifies 85 arterial road upgrades, valued at $3 billion, that are needed to connect the outer suburbs.
Upgrades valued at more than $699 million, as well as improvements in rail and bus services, are in Casey.
Mr Tyler said the report provided a comprehensive and connected transport network to tackle the backlog of projects in outer Melbourne.
“Due to high levels of growth experienced in Casey over a number of years, the current transport infrastructure does not provide an appropriate level of service for our community,” he said.
Major upgrades were required immediately to service the existing community, as well as the extra demand associated with the projected population increases from the Casey-Cardinia growth corridor, but the State Government would not be able to handle these upgrades at today’s funding levels.
Key Casey projects identified in the report include:
• $95 million for O’Shea Road extension/Greaves Road/Pound Road construction and duplication and upgrade of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road intersection and Shrives Road intersection;
• $90 million for the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road/Cameron Street to duplicate Greaves Road to South Gippsland Highway;
• $50 million for Clyde-Five Ways Road to duplicate the Berwick-Cranbourne Road to South Gippsland Highway;
• $40 million for Western Port Highway to duplicate North Road to Baxter-Tooradin Road;
• $20 million for Narre Warren North Road/Belgrave-Hallam Road to widen, Ernst Wanke Road to Heatherton Road.
Necessary rail upgrades indicated in the report include a railway station for Lynbrook and Cranbourne East, extending and duplicating the Cranbourne East railway line, and creating a railway level crossing grade separation at Clyde Road, Berwick/Dandenong-Pakenham railway line.
Improved bus services would include a connecting route between Dandenong, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, and Pakenham. Expanded bus services would also be needed for Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Lyndhurst and Pearcedale.