It is important that we all express our concerns about the Bypass and freeway by sending Peter Garrett an email ASAP, preferably today. He must make his determination by the 14th of August 28th or August, so there is no time to lose.
Some points to make include:
- The Environmental Effects Panel avoided responding to the 52 out of 122 submissions in which it was demanded that they re-examine Option O, upgrading existing roads. Why?
- There were 2000 signatures to say no to the Bypass and demanded an upgrade of existing roads.
- There was no ecologist on the panel to realistically assess the enormous environmental impacts resulting from the Bypass.
- The Frankston Mayor, Colin Hampton, stated that the Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve rated only 3 out of 10 and subsequently wrongly influenced the Frankston councilors to vote for the Bypass and not to consider the alternative, Option O. Fortunately, in the Frankston submission, it was recommended that Option O be reviewed.
- The Mornington council has finally realized that the Bypass will bypass the city of Mornington as well as Frankston and does far too much damage to the environment. How long will it be before the Frankston council will wake up to it?
- The reason to build the Bypass is only to artificially create jobs. How can jobs be more important than the enormous environmental damage which will result from it. There are less damaging job creation projects that the government can pursue.
- Option O would not create as many jobs but would definitely be less expensive and very much more environmentally friendly.
- The Victorian Government knows this and is therefore jumping the gun with the hope that their decission can not be reversed.
- Option O, and improved public transport, is all that is needed to fix the existing traffic problem.
- This is not the only project that threatens southern brown bandicoots. The Crib Point project does as well, as do the extensive bush clearance for fire control works now underway throughout the state. The information Garrett has received does not include an explanation of how threats due to the Bypass-Freeway proposal are related to other assaults on bandicoot populations and habitat that are being sanctioned and/or implemented by the government.
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