NOVEMBER 29, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
(Damjan Janevski)
Open water, big swims Victoria’s peak open-water swimming event will be held at Williamstown beach in December. Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club and Swimming Victoria will host the third Victorian Open Water Championships and the Williamstown Open Water (WOW) Challenge. Swimming Victoria chief executive Jason Hellwig said more than 1000 entrants were expected, including the best open-water swimmers in the world. But he said the event had something for everyone. “With all distances open to all swimmers, it’s also unquestionably one of the most exciting and popular community open-water challenges in the country,” he said. Distances range from the 750-metre Optus Junior Dolphin “Chase the Champs” kids challenge to the 10 -kilometre marathon. This year’s event will also include a multi-class event for swimmers of all abilities. The Victorian Open Water Championships and WOW Challenge will be held at the Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club at Williamstown Beach on Sunday, December 17. For more information and to register, visit the Williamstown SLSC website. JOE, 9, AYDEN, 12, MERRIN McTAGGART, MATT McCARROLL, ZOE FERGUSON AND MAHLI, 7
Goya Dmytryshchak
Fight pledge on tunnel By Benjamin Millar and Goya Dmytryshchak Community groups are vowing to fight tooth and nail for improvements to the West Gate Tunnel after the $5.5 billion toll road for Melbourne’s west was given the green light. Planning Minister Richard Wynne signed off on Monday on the Environmental Effects Statement (EES), the final hurdle for the unsolicited proposal by toll road operators Transurban. The project will connect the West Gate Freeway to the Port of Melbourne, CityLink and the Melbourne CBD via twin tunnels under Yarraville, three new bridges over the Maribyrnong River and an elevated
freeway above Footscray Road. Mr Wynne is recommending the state government acquire about 10 homes on Hyde Street in Yarraville at the request of owners facing more than 1500 extra trucks past their doors each day. The toll road was opposed by Hobsons Bay and Melbourne councils and residents in Spotswood, South Kingsville, Altona North and Brooklyn, who face the prospect of thousands more trucks on their streets. Better West – Spotswood South Kingsville Residents Group spokeswoman Rosa McKenna said the community, particularly Brooklyn, had been “hung out to dry”. “We don’t feel we’ve been listened to,” she said.
Don’t Destroy Millers Road spokesman Chris Dunlevy said the increased truck traffic would be devastating for Brooklyn, already Melbourne’s most polluted suburb. “The Brooklyn community is beyond shattered,” he said. “We trusted the process and have been completely let down.” Mr Dunlevy said offering some double glazing for the residents on Millers Road would do nothing for the congestion, pollution and safety problems coming their way. “The state government should hang their heads in shame – RIP Brooklyn,” he said. Mr Wynne says the project will slash congestion, reduce travel times and create 6000 jobs.
“There will be significant impacts during construction, but we’re getting the planning right to ensure disruptions are minimised and both the community and the environment are protected,” he said. Mr Wynne has rejected calls by the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) for the filtration of tunnel ventilation emissions and for truck curfews to be enshrined in law. MTAG secretary Martin Wurt said the group was outraged concerns of the community and health and air quality experts had been ignored in a “flawed” project that would funnel an extra 4000 trucks a day on to Williamstown Road. Construction will start in early 2018 and is due to be completed by the end of 2022.