Secret poll on extended, tolled Metro ring road - News.com.au

John Ferguson
August 18, 2008 12:00am

THE State Government is discreetly polling the electorate about extending the Metropolitan Ring Road through prized bushland.

Multi-storey housing developments in the outer suburbs is another topic for pollsters.

Voters are being asked about the impact of extending the ring road from Greensborough to join EastLink or the Eastern Freeway, despite key Labor MPs having opposed the move in the past.

If adopted, a road extension from Greensborough to Ringwood through the green wedge area could lead to the compulsory acquisition of homes in Diamond Creek, Eltham and Warrandyte, and the alienation of parkland.

...

A government spokesman said the polling was part of preparing this year's transport strategy and an extension to the ring road was being ruled neither in nor out.

"And as the idea has been raised in several submissions to the Eddington report it has been included in our consultations," he said.

The Government is reportedly investigating two options for extending the ring road -- one a 6km link from Greensborough to the Eastern Freeway, the other a massive road project from Greensborough to EastLink, joining at Ringwood.

A shorter option, from Greensborough to the Eastern Freeway via Bulleen Rd, has been backed by local Labor MP Craig Langdon.

The Government's telephone polling was leaked after a Liberal Party figure was surveyed at his home.

Mr Guy said the Government had also sought voter sentiment on:

• REMOVING trucks from streets in the inner west.
• AN 18km cross-city connection.
• A 17km rail tunnel between the west and southeast.
• DEVELOPING an outer ring road.

The Government asked voters to reveal how they felt about multi-storey buildings in their local areas, and how they felt about multi-storey buildings in outer-suburban Melbourne.

Planning is a crucial issue among many voters, with the Government attempting to determine how the electorate would accept multi-storey housing in the outer suburbs around public transport, allowing the Government to capitalise on land close to existing infrastructure.

Read the whole article at News.com.au