Have your say to stop this madness before it starts and
Sign this petition NOW.
Don’t let them bury the Koonung creek under a Monster Motorway
Why this petition matters
Started by Irene Moser
The North East Link project is poised to widen the Eastern Freeway between Bulleen and Tram Rds.
The State Government says they will
‘upgrade the Eastern Freeway‘
Adding another 6 lanes will need at least 10m of space on both sides of the current motorway. This means most of the Koonung creek and wetlands will be under concrete.
‘slash travel times‘
If people can drive to the outer Dandenongs faster, they’ll start building houses there. In the absence of public transport, they will then come back along the motorways to the city and suburbs for work and pleasure, such as the Doncaster shopping centre. Before long, the new motorway and local streets are hopelessly congested. This phenomenon is known as induced demand. Given the old Diesel clunckers on our roads, double the lanes = double the pollution, more chance of children with asthma, more chance of residents with lung cancer.
‘plant 30,000 trees‘
To make way for the motorway, an estimated 2,500 old-growth trees have to be felled, in times of a climate crisis. Saplings are no match for old trees when it comes to carbon storage. “[A] single big tree can add the same amount of carbon to the forest within a year as is contained in an entire mid-sized tree“.
Without old trees, it will take decades until you can enjoy a park on top of the Koonung creek. Sharing the remaining narrow path with cyclists and scooters will not help.
Ask the state government to review the need to widen the motorway and work with Whitehorse City Council and residents’ organisations to save the Koonung creek.
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Or simply link here: https://www.change.org/p/don-t-let-them-bury-the-koonung-creek-under-a-monster-motorway
This impending parkland destruction was highlighted 6 years ago by WATAG.
NOTHING substantive has happened to change the original NEL plans.
Whitehorse Active Transport Action Group Inc. 