Rail petition creeping down the track

SO FAR, a Parliamentary Petition to ‘Restore and extend the Cranbourne to Koo Wee Rup rail line’ has attracted 3055 signatures.

It needs to get to 10,000 signatures before it earns a debate in State Parliament.

But, since being launched by Bass Coast resident Travis Mitchell, ahead of the 2022 State Election, it is starting to gain some traction and is expected to reach the 10,000 mark in enough time to become an issue before the next election in November this year.

The preamble to the Parliamentary Petition says rail services need to be restored urgently to service the region’s rapid population and housing expansion, especially in the Clyde and Clyde North areas, but also extending through to Koo Wee Rup.

“The City of Casey, through which the disused line runs, is projected to grow by 59 per cent by 2041. Yet public transport options have not kept pace with increasing urban sprawl. Existing bus services are infrequent, unreliable, and lack the capacity to service new estates and outer communities. Many residents are left with no practical alternative to driving.”

With a lot of South Gippslanders and Bass Coast residents already using Koo Wee Rup and Pakenham as convenient places to park and ride, there’s also a lot of support for the ‘Restore Rup Rail’ campaign.

You can sign the petition on the parliament.vic.gov.au website, click ‘get involved’ and ‘sign a petition’ where you can search the Koo Wee Rup rail petition.

The petition is being sponsored by Eastern Victoria MP Renee Heath.