Car park plan cut
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has abandoned plans for four car parks in his own Melbourne electorate.
Mr Frydenberg has ditched his $65 million pledge made at the 2019 election for “thousands of extra car parks” across his seat.
He promised to build up to 2,000 spaces at new car parks at the Surrey Hills, Canterbury, Glenferrie and Camberwell stations as part of the federal government’s $660 million Commuter Car Park fund.
The decision comes after a report by the Auditor-General found 77 per cent of the car park fund’s projects were pledged to Coalition seats, mostly in marginal electorates in Melbourne’s east and south-east.
Mr Frydenberg said that in one case, the local Boroondara Council’s public consultation generated “significant local feedback”. He gave up on the plan ahead of Boroondara Council’s decision on the fate of the proposals for the projects on March 15.
“The federal government has decided not to proceed with funding for the proposed car parks at Canterbury, Glenferrie and Camberwell,” he said.
Of 47 car parks promised ahead of the 2019 election, six have been built, six are under construction, and five had already been abandoned.
The government claims that over 70 per cent of the car park projects will be completed or under construction by the end of 2022.