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Labor refuse to fix Coldstream roads

Reading a Newspaper

Tuesday, 23 June 2020

The Coldstream community is furious after learning that the Andrews Labor Government has refused to commit to fixing Maroondah Highway and Killara Road in Coldstream.

Local MP Bridget Vallence has worked hard for years with the Coldstream community, the Coldstream CFA Fire Brigade and local businesses, and campaigned at the last State Election to fix this dangerous section of Maroondah Highway. The Andrews State Government refused to match the commitment.

As a result of an extensive community campaign, the Federal Morrison Government committed $20 million in the 2019 Federal Budget to duplicate the Maroondah Highway and install traffic lights at Killara Road in Coldstream.

The $20 million in funding has been made available to the Andrews State Government and VicRoads specifically for this Project, but they have done nothing to make this road safer for Coldstream residents.

Speaking in Parliament, Bridget Vallence MP demanded the Andrews Government to stop playing politics and commit to using this Commonwealth money to get on with the job and fix this stretch of Maroondah Highway and the dangerous intersection at Killara Road.

In response to Bridget Vallence MP’s question, the Minister for Roads engaged in classic political spin, stating that the Andrews Government was looking at how these funds could be “optimally integrated” into the Andrews Government’s “existing pipeline”. This has left Coldstream residents frustrated, scratching their heads as to what this political spin actually means.

Comments attributable to local MP, Member for Evelyn, Bridget Vallence:

“The Coldstream community is furious that the Andrews State Government is refusing to fix the dangerous Maroondah Highway and Killara Road intersection.”

“The Federal Government allocated funds to the Andrews Government and VicRoads specifically for this project in 2019, and the failure of the Andrews Government to get on with the job demonstrates it does not care about road safety for local Coldstream residents.”

“For years and years, CFA volunteer firefighters, local businesses and residents have been calling for traffic lights to be installed at the Killara Road intersection, but the Andrews Government continues to ignore them.”

“I won’t rest and will keep fighting to ensure the Andrews Government spends the $20 million in funding to make Maroondah Highway and Killara Road safer for locals, CFA firefighters and tourists alike.”

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