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Transport groups welcome new Bailieu Government

Business and road transport groups welcome Victorian Coalition’s election win and wait for a meeting with new government to discuss their wish-list

By Ruza Zivkusic | December 1, 2010

Business and road transport groups have welcomed the Victorian Liberal-National Coalition’s election win and are now waiting for a meeting with the new government to discuss their wish-list.

Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) and the National Road Transport Operators Association (NatRoad) say they hope for a co-operative partnership with the Bailieu Government.

VECCI’s spokeswoman Lizzie Threthewey says the group would like to see a review of the infrastructure charge.

“It would affect a lot of our members, especially small businesses,” she
says.

“The Coalition have made a commitment to investigate the rail link to the Avalon airport as well as during the campaign they committed money for a rail link study into Melbourne Airport; what we are looking for now is a time table of when we can expect some of these projects to start,’’ she adds.

Both groups hope the new Government will reassess the Freight Infrastructure Charge export tax and commit to payroll cuts.

“We are also calling on the removal of the clearway extension in the city; one of our members has been affected by that so we welcome the Government’s announcement today that it will immediately reverse the extension,” Threthewey says.

NatRoad’s CEO Bernie Belacic doubts much will “dramatically” change with the
Coalition now in power.

“At the end of the day, that’s their political system, governments come and go and we have to work with the government of the day; it’s a glass full, not a glass half-empty,”
he says.

Edmund Carew, media advisor for the then Shadow Minister for Roads, Terry Mulder, says the Government is being formed today, including the appointment of new media advisors.

Unable to provide ATN with already released transport and freight policies, Mulder says extra passing lanes on the Princess Highway West between the Colac and New South Wales border are one of
the Coalition’s
major commitments.

“We have also announced initial funding for the duplication for Princess Highway West between Winchelsea and Colac,” Carew adds.

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