CLAIMS and counterclaims were heard from opposing sides of the political divide over the Watson Street upgrade.
Liberals said “despite campaigning on the promise to duplicate Watson Street as a part of the Wallan Diamond Interchange upgrade, Labor has quietly removed the commitment from the project.”
They said original government planning documents in 2020 clearly state that the project would include a “Watson Street duplication: two lanes of vehicular traffic in each direction.”
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region Evan Mulholland said in 2022, Lauren Kathage, Member for Yan Yean, also campaigned on the promise of delivering an upgrade to Watson Street to improve capacity and safety, adding on Facebook she was not interested in making empty promises.
“Despite these assurances, the Watson Street duplication is no longer mentioned anywhere as a part of the project, only the interchange, leaving residents with a broken promise.”
But Ms Kathage has refuted the claims.
“The Watson Street interchange upgrade and the Northern Highway intersection upgrade will improve safety and slash congestion for working families,” she said.
“Claims that scope has been removed from the Watson Street upgrade are wrong.”
Ms Kathage said the document mentioned by the Liberals was a planning document from 2020, which was “prior to my commitment in 2022”.
”That document does not relate to the commitment that I made. That’s not a commitment document. It’s a planning document for acquiring land. We’ve never had a duplication commitment … the 2020 document is … just planning, it’s just the government being ahead of the curve and saying which land we need to acquire now so that when it does come time to do those projects we’re not held up by acquisitions, which can take 18 months under legislation,” she said.
“We have undertaken planning work so that we can deliver future projects in the area after these vital upgrades are completed. Liberal housing policy is to fast track more estates in Wallan, with no commitment for infrastructure.”
