AAP: Third Vic council takes action over Link November 20, 2014
A third Melbourne council has launched legal action against the controversial East West Link road project, alleging changes to the design signed off in September could be unlawful.
Moonee Valley City Council is seeking to have Planning Minister Matthew Guy’s decision to approve changes to the $6.8 billion first stage of the roadway quashed by the Victorian Supreme Court.
It is also seeking orders to prevent the project moving forward in its current state without the legality of the decision being clarified.
Documents lodged with the court on Thursday by Moonee Valley say the amended design is so substantially different from the original design it could no longer be considered the same project.
Moonee Valley council says additions including a four-lane off-ramp at Ormond Road, a new four-lane road through Debneys Park and a new elevated off-ramp will devastate the suburbs of Flemington, Travancore and Moonee Ponds.
Moreland and Yarra councils have also launched Supreme Court action against the project.
Mr Guy said the legal action was politically motivated.
“It’s no wonder a Labor-aligned council would launch politically-motivated legal action a week before the state election,” Mr Guy said.
“This is just a desperate attempt from Labor to use ratepayers’ funds to assist Labor’s election campaign.”
Moonee Valley alleges Mr Guy did not accord procedural fairness to the council and the changes are therefore invalid.
The council said it is not seeking to stop the project altogether, but to force the state government to implement it in a way that follows the correct protocol.
