West Gate Tunnel Transport Amenity Program leaves community “outraged”

In 2018, a $100 million Transport and Amenity Program (TAP) was announced to mitigate the impacts of the West Gate Tunnel on neighbourhood streets in North and West Melbourne and Docklands.

However, with the tunnel expected to open by the end of this year, the program has come under scrutiny due to a lack of transparency around how the money will be spent and a failure to deliver projects that would help alleviate traffic once the tunnel is operational.

Jointly funded by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and the City of Melbourne, more than $20 million has so far been allocated to projects, including tram improvement works on William St in the CBD, protected cycle lanes along La Trobe, Abbotsford and Peel streets, and feasibility studies to guide future works.

A further $30 million has been set aside for the Franklin St transformation, which will create more than 1250 sqms of new green space, linking Queen Victoria Market with the new State Library Station. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2026.

However, concerns are growing within the North Melbourne community that both the completed and proposed projects will not effectively address the traffic challenges expected once the West Gate Tunnel opens.

Mary Masters, a member of the North & West Melbourne Association, believes the program represents a “misappropriation” of public funds.

“Seven years have passed, and the City of Melbourne has categorically failed to deliver any outcomes the TAP was established to achieve,” she told North West City News.

Despite the program being launched seven years ago, Ms Masters said no traffic mitigation or enhanced streetscape projects had been delivered in West Melbourne, and that open space improvements along Moonee Ponds Creek had been overlooked.

She also noted that feasibility studies had not been conducted transparently, with the Spencer Street Master Plan and the Victoria Street Opportunities Plan yet to be made public.

In addition, a feasibility study completed by the council in 2022 to explore a new bridge connection between Docklands and West Melbourne has also not been publicly released.

In its 2025–26 draft budget, the council has allocated $8.5 million towards TAP initiatives, identifying the Franklin St transformation as the major beneficiary of these funds.

However, Ms Masters is urging the council to redirect the funds towards projects that directly mitigate the impacts of the West Gate Tunnel on North and West Melbourne.

She said it was “ludicrous” that a CBD project outside the tunnel’s direct impact zone had been allocated such a large share of the funding, and that it would be delivered two years after the tunnel’s opening.

Ms Masters said she would prefer to see the $8.5 million invested in the Hawke Street Linear Park, which was originally scheduled to be done this year. The project aims to address increased traffic from the tunnel by improving bicycle and pedestrian connectivity.

However, the works timeline has been delayed until after the tunnel’s opening, with the City of Melbourne and DTP still determining how to progress the project.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the council remained “committed” to undertaking projects that would help manage increased traffic and improve commuting for residents.

As part of the fund, the council also plans to upgrade the Dynon Rd shared user path to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians travelling between North Melbourne and Footscray by removing hazardous sections along the current route.

However, the timeline for this upgrade is dependent on the completion of the tunnel.

A Victorian Government spokesperson said, “We will continue to work with the City of Melbourne to deliver transport improvements to the communities of North and West Melbourne before and after the tunnel opens.” •