By Sahar Foladi
Greater Dandenong Council has called for works to cease on the Progress Street level crossing removal project and an “urgent meeting” with State MPs as a result of wide-held road safety concerns.
The news comes after a briefing by Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) representatives to the council on Monday 7 August.
Greater Dandenong mayor Eden Foster said the briefing sought responses from the LXRP team on specific issues of concerns raised by affected businesses in Dandenong South.
“Following the briefing, councillors agreed to seek urgent discussion at a meeting with the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, the Hon. Jacinta Allan MP and the Member for Dandenong, the Hon. Gabrielle Williams MP, to relay the business community and councillors’ concerns and requests for further action.
“Council has also asked that any further work on the project cease until that meeting has been held and the issues are resolved.”
Traffic and road safety concerns have been raised by businesses in the busy industrial precinct, which is home to manufacturers such as Vulcan, Pakaflex, Simmonds Lumber Group, JDN Monocrane and also Australia Post.
The area sees A doubles, B doubles, semi-trailers, trucks and cars entering and exiting out of the premises.
“Australia Post has raised significant concerns with LXRP around potential safety and traffic issues linked to the diversion of vehicles on to Fowler Road, particularly its three-wheeled Electric Delivery Vehicles,” AusPost spokesperson said.
“Our Dandenong Letter Centre processes 99 per cent of all letters sent within Victoria and has a range of operational and logistical needs, with the safety of our people being the highest priority. “
As part of the project, Progress Street would be closed to traffic at the crossing, with vehicles diverted to a proposed road bridge connecting to Fowler Road.
Andrew Hamer, managing director of Pakaflex, which is located next to the level-crossing, has advocated against this “bad decision” of the government. He argues that the level-crossing is safe and not congested.
“This idea, of a cheap, nasty diversion down congested, narrow and twisty Fowler Road treats the local business community and the City of Greater Dandenong with utter contempt and disregard.
“This plan is dangerous. It will put a huge volume of over-dimensional and heavy trucks and postie bicycles crossing 30 heavy goods driveways on a narrow twisty road,” he said.
“It is dangerous and will result in deaths or injuries.”
According to the LXRP, the new design creates safer access for businesses to Princes Highway via an upgraded, signalised intersection at South Gippsland Highway.
“We’re closing the dangerous Progress Street level crossing in Dandenong South and building a new road bridge connecting to Fowler Road, as we get on with making the Pakenham Line level crossing free by 2025 and allowing more trains to run more often when the Metro Tunnel opens,” the LXRP spokesperson said.
“We’ll continue to work with local businesses and other stakeholders including council as the project progresses.”
Despite reports acquired under Freedom of Information (FOI) which state that, the current level-crossing risks are “low” and “negligible”, the project is being pushed forward.
Recently, in a 765-signature petition tabled in the Parliament on Thursday 22 June by Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams, businesses asked for a moratorium pending a safety review by the LXRP.
Six days later, a contract was awarded for the project which left the petitioners completely sidelined.
Councillor Rhonda Garad said the LXRP were very dismissive of the real concerns by Council and the community on Monday night’s briefing.
“This whole issue has a strong sense of the heavy hand of government not listening to the reasonable and serious issues raised by local businesses and council.
“It feels like the government have an agenda and they’ll get it done regardless of the implications.
“It just feels heavy handed and tone-deaf and will require all of us to prevent what can be unexpectable outcome here.”
She said there was much basic information, which the LXRP failed to provide during the briefing, such as the safety data. And that this further heightened her concerns.
“Unfortunately, I certainly wasn’t satisfied that the level of information we were provided with on Monday night addressed our concerns which is why we’re seeking clarification.
“They were not giving satisfactory responses. Simply asking for their safety data to be released, there’s no clear reason why they couldn’t do it.
“It just seemed they were on their course and they won’t stop to consider the important issues being raised,” she said.
“They didn’t show any sense of concerns for these concerns or that they’ll change their approach.
“Is there a way forward? We don’t know unless we have further discussions.”
There is no date or timeline provided by the Council on when this “urgent meeting” with MPs Allan and Williams will be held.
According to the Local Government Act, the council have no authority over the project decisions.
However, once works are completed by the LXRP, the site will be handed back down to the council.
“Council is very concerned about what we’ll inherit, we are basically locked out of this,” Cr Garad said.
Mr Hamer has also shared the same view, saying it feels like an agenda is being followed with no thought given to its implications or the serious issues raised.
“The Government is so invested in ‘getting it done’ that common sense and good process have gone out the window.”
The business community in the area are open to other safer alternatives that don’t require the closure of the level-crossing, such as an overpass as done in other projects completed so far.
Councillor Garad raised the question, why can’t another acceptable solution be approached?
“Why is this intersection being treated so different to others?
“If it’s a cost issue – are these people being treated less fairly than others and why?
“There’s so many unanswered questions and puzzles.”
Along with the council, AusPost, businesses and the wider community, Liberal South-East MP Ann-Marie Hermans has also spoken out multiple times in support of the ‘important safety issues.’
Ms Hermans has spoken on this issue four times this year in Parliament, twice asking a question about it (23 March and 3 May) and twice raising an adjournment matter (22 March and 1 June).
In response to the adjournment matter, Ms Allan stated the project will go ahead.
“I acknowledge the Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region’s position to scrap this project, however the Andrews Labor Government will not agree to keep this dangerous and congested level crossing in place.”
“Early works on this project are set to begin in mid-2023, with the Progress Street level crossing to be gone for good by 2025.”
