Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

It is a great privilege to answer a question from the member for Casey, who is a great fighter for this project along with the member for Deakin and other colleagues in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, including the Minister for the Environment, who mentioned last week that he should have been included. The member for Aston is fighting for this project as well, as is the member for Dunkley, the Minister for Small Business. All are fighting very hard for the eastern side of the project, and you can understand why. A traffic study from Traffic Group found that average travel time savings for vehicles using East West Link would be 27 minutes for westbound Eastern Freeway to Citylink traffic in the AM peak and 33 minutes for eastbound Citylink to Eastern Freeway traffic in the PM peak. The maximum travel time savings for vehicles using East West Link would be 40 minutes for westbound Eastern Freeway to Citylink at AM peak and 55 minutes for eastbound Citylink to Eastern Freeway in the PM peak.

Earlier this week the Premier of Victoria got on with the job, as we wanted him to do, and signed the contracts for the delivery of the first stage of East West. The member for Casey can tell his constituents, who have been fighting for this—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

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