A Sunshine West business owner is worried his factory may be acquired to make way for the East West Link after initial maps detailing the western route were removed from state government websites.
General Laser director Andrew Miles was involved in government consultation when the project was first announced and was made to understand that the preferred route for the western section would use up vacant land adjoining his factory and miss his laser cutting business by more than 19 metres. A Linking Melbourne property map dated October 2010 and seen by Star Weekly confirms this.
Mr Miles said these same plans were put up online but had been removed in recent months, causing him and surrounding business owners to wonder if the route will be altered.
He said that since October 2010 he had spent nearly $1 million to extend the factory and buy new equipment. “Based on what the Linking Melbourne Authority told us, many businesses in the area have invested money and expanded, but now the links have disappeared.
“If I’d known there was potential for a freeway [through my factory], I would’ve held onto my money and looked elsewhere. The freeway has to go somewhere – if we have to move, we have to move – but they need to let us know.”
The state government last week opened the tender process for the western section, which will include a new tollway road linking the eastern section at CityLink through to the Western Ring Road. State Transport Minister Terry Mulder would not confirm how many homes and businesses, if any, will be acquired for the western section of the East West Link
