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Francis Street Yarraville,
courtesy Philip Greenwood.

The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group represents another group of citizens vastly impacted by PoMC traffic and extremely concerned about the future. They are organising a rally (appropriate banners supplied by them) and invite you to join in… 

 
This rally will coincide with the federal court case examining environmental aspects of the Port of Melbourne Corporation’s Channel Deepening project. We want to draw attention to the fact that it’s not just the marine environment that will be damaged by dredging but also the urban environment of the inner West. Truck traffic is expected to quadruple with channel dredging and the government has no plan in place for how to deal with it.
 
We all know it's already a hellish situation with trucks. We currently have 20,000 TRUCKS A DAY on our streets and about half of them are trucks going to and from the port using our streets as a short cut and as a way to avoid tolls. We are paying for their profit margins with our health and safety: we have the HIGHEST LEVELS OF DIESEL POLLUTION RECORDED IN AUSTRALIA. And, frighteningly, it’s set to get much worse. Channel deepening should be halted until the government can provide a costed plan for how to deal with all these extra trucks.
 
It doesn’t make sense to create even more truck traffic in the middle of Melbourne and we’re angry because we will bear the brunt of it. Other options should be properly investigated.
 
There have been calls from economists, a trucking magnate (Lindsay Fox), shipping companies, transport experts, exporters, environmentalists, small business operators, the former deputy PM, Tim Fischer, coastal geologists, and now a SENIOR PORT EXECUTIVE (Richard Setchell) for Mr. Brumby to STOP and think again.
 
You don’t get a coalition of such diverse interests speaking in one voice unless there’s something VERY WRONG.
 
Let the politicians – who are supposed to legislate to protect the health and safety of citizens – know that you’re fed up. Fed up with the health of your kids being compromised by uncontrolled numbers of trucks. Fed up with the pollution. Fed up with the noise. Fed up with being treated as a second rate citizen! Come on your way to work. Wear something yellow or bring something yellow to wave. If you have one, wear a gas mask or paper dust mask. We will supply banners.
 
This will be a peaceful protest held with the cooperation of Victoria Police, but we are determined to have the voice of our community heard: we want to know what you are going to do with all these thousands of extra trucks, Mr. Brumby. How are they going to get to and from the port? Where are they going to go? We say: NOT ON OUR STREETS, and if we have to block our streets to stop them then we will.
 
Please check our website after 8pm on the evening before the protest for updates and procedural information, which will be posted on the front page: www.mtag.org.au

Peter  0409 797 852