Despite Ringwood’s status as a Transit City and support from both the community and Maroondah Council to transform Ringwood into a vibrant urban community, the State Government has continued to drag its feet in providing the funding necessary for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
Maroondah councillor Alex Makin said the Government should “put its money where its mouth is”, back its Melbourne 2030 planning blueprint with a genuine funding commitment and provide “a catalyst for private investment”.
The Minister for Planning, Justin Madden, toured Ringwood on the 21st of February but failed to provide any indication as to whether Ringwood Station would receive funding for the upgrade.
“Year in and year out we have been told Ringwood station is on the agenda, but we have not received funding,” Cr Makin said.
The full redevelopment of Ringwood Station, which would probably cost around $40 million would serve as a catalyst for further investment in Ringwood. The Station, which is currently perceived to be unsafe and fails disability compliance requirements, requires an urgent overhaul and would demonstrate that the State Government is serious about its Melbourne 2030 metropolitan strategy and the goal of encouraging public transport usage and urban development within activity centres.
“Until the State Government provides a signal that it is prepared to invest in Ringwood, we are just going to wait around for private investment.”
The upcoming State Budget will be a key litmus test for Melbourne 2030 and the Government’s supposed commitment to the Transit Cities program. The Ringwood community is quickly losing patience with the State Government’s continued failure to deliver the necessary upgrade to Ringwood Station.