AS billboards promote political team colours up hill and down dale
through the ’burbs of Melbourne’s north and beyond, the community of
Craigieburn has scored a $620,000 pre-election promise from Labor it
hopes comes through, even if the Rudd government doesn’t.
McEwen’s Labor incumbent MP and Craigieburn resident, Rob
Mitchell, extracated the funding promise from Regional Australia
Minister Catherine King last week, announcing that a re-elected Rudd
government will partner Hume council in installing traffic lights at the
controversial intersection of Hanson and Craigieburn roads.
The intersection is the scene of ongoing accidents and the subject
of appeals for upgrades as congestion levels continue to increase
throughout the fast-growing northern areas of the municipality.
“As someone who has lived in Craigieburn for more than 10 years, I
know how this intersection has been a constant pain for locals,” Mr
Mitchell said. “Local residents have been campaigning for these traffic
lights for years, since Safeway was built.
“This is one of the biggest issues raised with me by people from Craigieburn over the past three years.”
Hume mayor Geoff Porter welcomed the funding promise, saying the
intersection had been a constant source of complaints to the council for
a number of years.
“It will make a difference,” Cr Porter said.
Ms King said the federal government’s Regional Development
Australia fifth funding round was used to allocate funding to councils
across Australia
Hume council had identified $619,342 to be used from this
allocation towards the project. “Funding under this program is already
included in the budget,” Ms King said.
