State government shows contempt for planning process with Frankston Bypass announcement

Greens member for Southern Metropolitan Region and spokesperson for Roads and Ports, Sue Pennicuik said today that "the Premier’s announcement this week to proceed with construction of the Frankston Bypass1 before the panel inquiring into the project had even finalised its Inquiry once again demonstrated the government’s contempt for Victoria’s planning and environmental assessment processes."

The panel inquiring into the Frankston Bypass is understood to be producing its report to the Minister for Planning, Mr Madden by the 24th April 2009. The minister will then need to determine whether to approve the project.

"Even then we won't be sure that any decision made by the Minister is soundly based because, as with channel deepening and the desalination plant, the Minister sets his own terms of reference and the scope of the Inquiry and controls the process," she said.

"It is well past the time that we had a truly independent environmental assessment process in Victoria," said Ms Pennicuik.

1 Frankston Bypass aka Peninsula Link http://www.seita.com.au/pages/peninsula-link.asp