No word from Libs

THE Liberal Party has failed to respond to Sunshine residents’ requests about whether the party would support a proposed road tunnel that required compulsory house acquisitions by the State Government.

Sunshine residents asked Member for Western Metropolitan Region Bernie Finn what the Liberal Party’s position was on the East West Link Needs Assessment (EWLNA) by Sir Rod Eddington, in particular the proposed road tunnel that would run through Sunshine.

Mr Finn told residents at an information session hosted by Brimbank City Council on Tuesday night that he did not know what the Liberal Party’s stance was on the Eddington report and that he would ask Liberal leader Ted Baillieu.

Mr Baillieu told Star the Liberal Party supports the need for an East West link as current arterials such as the West Gate were already too heavily congested.

He said his party was disappointed with the Labor State Government as it promised in 2001 to deliver a Freight and Logistic Strategy for Melbourne and Victoria and has failed to do so to date.

Mr Baillieu said a person or political party could not make an informed decision on the Eddington recommendations without such as strategy in place as one of the key factors how long the port will remain in its current location.

He said even Sir Eddington’s report stipulates the need for the strategy.

“We don’t know how container movement is going to be managed,” Mr Baillieu said.

He said the Liberal Party will not formulate an opinion on the EWLNA, nor on the proposed road tunnel in recommendations, until further detail was provided.

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