Consultation key to Johnson’s run

A LACK of community consultation on some of Ballarat’s biggest projects is the motivation behind Amy Johnson’s tilt at state parliament.

The second-term city councillor, who was elected in 2012 and again in 2016, with the highest number of votes in her ward, lists Ballarat Station, Mair Street parking alterations, the Sturt Street bike path plan, and bus route changes as just some of the issues the Liberal Party hopeful said could have been handled better.

“Earlier this year, Labor’s plans for a bike path down Sturt Street saw me collecting thousands and thousands of signatures in opposition to the project,” Ms Johnson said.

“People were appalled that the state government hadn’t listened to them and were pushing ahead with their own plans.

It made me realise what little regard the State Government have for the people of Ballarat and how often public consultation is thrown out the window.”

All three Ballarat lower house seats look to be in play this election and that’s led Opposition Leader Matthew Guy to declare they are must wins if government is to change.

The Labor Party has countered key local Opposition promises, like lighting around Lake Wendouree or money to upgrade Hadden’s sports stadium.

Or the ALP has gone one better and provided immediate funding for things that could have been election issues, such as a synthetic racing track at Ballarat Turf Club, which the Coalition had previously pledged $5 million for.

A result is the distance on many issues is small, and candidates like Ms Johnson, who is standing in the lower house seat of Wendouree, are seeking to highlight what they say are important points of difference.

One of those areas of difference is engagement on infrastructure changes.

“Our community is being ignored by this Labor Government in relation to key projects,” Ms Johnson said.

Plans to redevelop the Ballarat Train Station are a good example of the gap between Ms Johnson’s Liberals and the ALP.

Significant public opposition to the station redevelopment and sale of public transport land has seen the issue become a key election platform.

The Liberal Party has contrasted those plans by announcing their intention to seek to renegotiate contracts and to investigate disability access, additional car parking and the development of a full bus interchange.

“I have listened to those people in our community who are concerned about what is happening to our wonderful heritage railway station and those who cannot get around Ballarat on our bus system,” Ms Johnson said.

Ms Johnson has also highlighted the state government’s plans to remove over 160 car parks from Mair Street as part of the road duplication as another example of the community being ignored.

The project’s been approved by Ballarat City Council and VicRoads, yet some area traders, over 40 of which signed a petition, want it readdressed and the angled car parking retained.

The issue brought the Shadow Transport Minister, David Hodgett, to Ballarat last month who with Ms Johnson by his side, vowed to send the project back to the drawing board if the Liberal and National parties should win government on 24 November.

Ms Johnson said that, “While on council, I put forward a motion that we withdraw our support for this project in its current form and put pressure on the State Government to retain more car parking.”

That motion was defeated. After serving six years on Ballarat council, Ms Johnson said campaigning on political issues and fighting for what she sees as a better deal for local people is in her blood.

Her father was also a local politician, serving as a municipal councillor for two terms in the 1990.

Ms Johnson said she learned a thing or two from watching her dad.

“He had six kids and a business to run, yet he was still able to contribute extensively to his local community through multiple service clubs and as a councillor,” she said.

“It’s important to me that I give back as well. My dad lead a rally of over 150,000 country people against the Melbournecentric Kirner Government. The Labor government ignored country people then, and they continue to do so now.

“From a very young age, my Dad taught me that if you want something done, you need to get off your backside and do it yourself.”