By ANTHONY RADFORD

THE political fighting over the Kangaroo Flat Railway station has continued, with the state government urged to begin car parking works immediately.
Over the past few months a he-said-she-said battle has erupted between Member for Bendigo West Bob Cameron and the Golden Square branch of the Liberal Party over who was first to push for the station to be re-opened.
Late last month the state government announced an extra 200 train services every week and an upgrade of the station to cope with them.
Local Liberal Party president Chris Earl, who was also the campaign director for federal Liberal candidate Peter Kennedy, said the construction of the station’s car park should begin immediately.
“Construction of the Kangaroo Flat railway station car park should begin within weeks to ensure the community had full confidence in using the precinct,” he said.
“A safe car park is central to the on-going community campaign which has already won additional train services and a refurbishment for the railway station building in Bendigo’s southern growth corridor.
“However, the government’s slow-coach response to the two-year  community campaign has meant expressions of interest to construct the  carpark were only called last month and it is not known when a tender will  be let.
“This is the latest bizarre act from the state Labor government and local MP Bob Cameron in their years of neglect of the Kangaroo Flat railway station precinct.”
Mr Earl said the government needed to act quickly.
“Rattled and rumbled, the state Labor government has now just worked out what our community has long known – that a tender will need to be awarded for construction of the car park.
“Our community will be further frustrated if there are delays to car park works ahead of additional train services starting on April 27.
“A safe car park is an absolute must for train travellers in Kangaroo Flat, Maiden Gully, Lockwood and other areas and anything less than an immediate awarding of the tender is totally unacceptable for our community.”
Mr Cameron rejected Mr Earl’s comments.
“The Liberal Party opposed the Fast Rail project  which included fixing the platform at Kangaroo Flat,” he said.
“There is plenty of room for car parking at the moment out the front.
“There will be temporary car parking done in the next couple of weeks then they will put in some additional permanent car parking.
“That was always the Department of Infrastructure’s plan and that is what is happening.
“We reject the Liberal Party’s continual opposition to this project.”