WE PREFER THIS

TO THIS

Sixty years ago, the Victorian Government planned many freeways all over the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. On the Mornington Peninsula, the Government reserved land for a freeway from Frankston to Blairgowrie. In the end, the Mornington Peninsula freeway was built only to Rosebud, where it ends today.

The land to continue the originally planned freeway across the Tootgarook Wetlands and further west to Canterbury Jetty Road, Blairgowrie is still reserved for the never-will-be-built freeway today. But the freeway extension will never be built because:

Ø It would destroy the Tootgarook Wetlands and many other untouched natural areas along the freeway route, which are of great environmental significance and value.

Ø It would cost several billion dollars to acquire all the remaining land which is required and then to build the freeway itself.

Ø It is not needed: projected future traffic growth to the west of Rosebud is not significant and the local population has a very low growth rate. Traffic is busy for a few weeks and weekends over the summer, but that does not justify a dead-end freeway extension to Blairgowrie.

Recently the Victorian Government recognised that a very similar surplus freeway easement in Vermont should be given back to its local community as an environmental pathway and park. Ngarrak Nakorang Wilam Park will be completed and handed over to its local community in a few months’ time.

This is exactly what should happen with the never-will-be-built freeway easement in our neighbourhood. It should be handed back to the local community and turned into an environmental biolink (a natural corridor that allows birds, animals and plants to migrate to higher and cooler areas in this time of global climate change) and community pathway for gentle recreation.

The Friends of the Southern Peninsula Biolink need help from you and your friends and family to make this happen. Visit https://fotspb.org/

Please sign our petition to the Mornington Peninsula Shire and the Victorian Government and lend your voice to all of the local community who are calling out:

NO TO THE FREEWAY. YES TO THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA BIOLINK AND COMMUNITY PATHWAY.