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Inga Peulich, State Member for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region has slammed Mordialloc MP Janice Munt for misleading the Dingley Village community over the Brumby Government’s plan to install full time bus lanes along Centre Dandenong Road.

The plan is opposed by the ‘No Bus Lanes Dingley Village Group’ (www.nobuslanes.com) and overwhelmingly rejected by Dingley Village residents in a survey conducted by Ms Peulich.

Ms Peulich said that the letter sent by Ms Munt today to Dingley Village residents shows that she appears to have capitulated for now under the pressure after barricading herself in her office, denying any knowledge of a plan which she announced and is a part of the Brumby Labor Government’s “Keeping Melbourne Moving” plan.

“In the same letter however Ms Munt indicates that if she is re-elected as the Member for Mordialloc, bus lanes through Dingley Village will be installed in the next term of government,” Ms Peulich said.

Ms Peulich said that it would have been a better idea for Ms Munt to admit mistakes than to continue to blame others and cover up her part in this ridiculous idea.

“Janice Munt has blamed me, she has blamed the local ward Councillor, she has blamed the Kingston Council and denied any knowledge of the plan or the community meeting to avoid the scrutiny from the Dingley Village community over her role in the project,” Ms Peulich said.

On 5 February 2010, Ms Munt wrote to concerned residents stating that she “was also unaware of these works until I was contacted by a number of concerned residents,” yet failed to disclose that she announced the bus lane project with the Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas on 9 September 2009.

The full time bus lane project involved the narrowing of Centre Dandenong Road through Dingley Village to install a dedicated full time bus lane – a plan which will significantly impact on local traffic, residents and traders.

“Ms Munt’s letter, received by Dingley Village residents today, is an example of another Brumby Government MP trying to save her political skin,” Ms Peulich said.

Ms Munt outlines that “local residents have raised with me their concern with a proposal by Kingston Council to install a dedicated bus lane on Centre Dandenong Road”, yet deliberately misleads the community as it is in fact VicRoads, a State Government authority that will install the dedicated bus lane.

A VicRoads fact sheet on the project clearly indicates “the introduction of bus lanes at strategic locations across Melbourne is part of a range of measures being introduced by the State Government.”

“Ms Munt should apologise to all concerned for her dishonesty and for having been a knowing participant to a pretended community consultation,” Ms Peulich said.

“For Janice Munt it is a case of spin, government propaganda and misleading the Dingley Village community but in this instance, she has been caught out.”

“It is evident that the Brumby Government’s track record of conducting hoax community consultations has been fully embraced by Mordialloc MP to the detriment of her community,” Ms Peulich said.