By MELISSA MEEHAN AND JESSE GRAHAM
Government in caretake mode before sealing the railway deal..
“IT’S a punch in the guts to our community.”
Passionate community member and newly appointed Healesville Chamber of Commerce president Graham Taylor broke down on Wednesday as he announced to his fellow members that despite a funding announcement for the Yarra Valley Railway last month, the future of the railway was in jeopardy.
The tourist railway, which will link Yarra Glen to Healesville, looks set to be a key local Federal Election issue.
Federal Minister for Regional Services Catherine King announced on 7 June that the Yarra Valley Railway would receive $3.56 million to help restore it for their opening at the end of 2016.
But Mr Taylor told members at the meeting that he had received an email from the government, saying that they had gone into caretaker mode in the lead up to the election before the funding had been finalised.
“They have punched the guts of this community,” he said.
“And for those who know me, they know I don’t back down.”
Vice president of the Yarra Valley Railway Brett Whelan said he was surprised by the decision.
“I’m personally astonished that the government would make such an announcement and funding commitment and then not ensure that this commitment is followed through into formal agreement before going into caretaker period,” Mr Whelan said.
In response to the community uproar, Member for Casey Tony Smith pledged on Friday 16 August that the Coalition would fulfil the $3.56 million funding promise if they were elected.
Mr Smith branded the delay in the funding as “Labor’s rail betrayal” and said the current Federal Government can’t be trusted to sign the contract after the election.
He said that another project announced on the same day as the Yarra Valley Railway’s funding, a new pool called Aquanation in Ringwood, has had its funding finalised.
The project received an announcement of $10 million in funding on 7 June, with construction beginning on 23 June.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child said when council officers attempted to finalise the funding for the railway, they were met with closed doors.
“Similar projects being approved, written up, signed off, when they were announced on the same day, and that was so frustrating,” he said.
However, Catherine King told the Mail on Friday 16 August that Labor were dedicated to ensuring the funding would go through after the election, with the funding agreement already included in their budget.
“The Labor Government has committed to upgrade the Yarra Glen railway station – a project which I, and Labor’s candidate for Casey, Cathy Farrell, strongly support and believe will attract more tourists to the area and provide a boost to the region’s economy,” she said.
“As the Minister for Regional Australia, I have signed off on the project, it is included in the budget and it will be delivered under a Labor Government.”
Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs Bruce Billson said the ordeal of trying to secure the funding wasn’t respectful to the Yarra Valley community.
“People deserve more than that, and I would be really disappointed if it became a Labor political plaything,” he said.
