By Rowan Forster
The independent candidate for Bass is marketing a rail extension to Lang Lang as her big ticket item for November’s state election.
Bass Coast Shire mayor Clare Le Serve has thrown her hat into the ring for a second consecutive tilt at parliament, after being credited for shifting the electorate to a marginal seat in 2014.
She claims the township of Lang Lang has been abandoned by a lack of public transport.
Cr Le Serve has vowed to fight for an extension of V/Line infrastructure if elected.
“I will campaign to bring the train back to Lang Lang as part of a Stage 1 in returning rail to South West Gippsland,” she said.
“A train line to Lang Lang would open up the option for people to live and bring up their families here while commuting to a job.
“Better still it would give the economic injection that would stimulate jobs right here.”
The network currently operates via Nar Nar Goon, Tynong, Garfield and Bunyip – through to Bairnsdale.
Cr Le Serve says services are essential between Pakenham and Phillip Island.
“We have been forgotten in public transport for far too long,” she added.
“Nobody wants to have to sit on the Monash Freeway for three hours in a bus or car.”
Constituents suspect Cr Le Serve may hold the balance of power in this year’s election, after yielding more than 10 per cent of the primary vote in her maiden candidacy.
Rhonda De Stefano, from Lang Lang, described it as a hot topic for the rural community.
“Our current V/Line coach service is not very workable,” she said.
“The service is often very late, and occasionally it does not arrive at some stops at all.
“If we want our already growing region to prosper and to not add to road traffic for those who commute, we must have a train.”
The spruiked rail extension would also run through Kooweerup, which has been a long-debated topic across Cardinia Shire.
During parliament in July, Shadow Minister for Public Transport David Davis recognised the need for an extension.
“There is a great rail corridor through to Kooweerup and we, as part of the commitment we made the other day, will not only build new stations at Clyde and Cranbourne East, but we will also look at the process of opening up that corridor to Kooweerup,” Mr Davis said at the time.
“There is the huge population growth in that corridor, and that corridor will play a very significant role into the future, but it needs proper public transport, otherwise people will default back onto roads.
“It is important for the growth areas out into Cardinia and beyond.”
The Lang Lang Railway Station operated for more than a century, before it was closed in July, 1993.
It remains partially intact with the platform and signals still in reasonable condition.
In 1999, the Steve Bracks led Labor State Government promised to revive the line for passenger services, but the commitment was dumped in 2008 by John Brumby.
