An opinion piece by Gill Gannon
Newport residents and business owners are bracing for major disruption as Champion Road is permanently closed on April 10 and Maddox Road closes from April 9-25.
For many in the community, the overlapping closures are more than an inconvenience. They represent a breaking point in a long-running dispute over the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) which locals say has never had genuine support and may ultimately leave the area worse off.
This is exactly what we were told wouldn’t happen. We were assured both crossings wouldn’t be closed at the same time, and now they are. It’s inevitable there will be future closures with the lines not completely built across Maddox Road.
A promise broken
Champion Road and Maddox Road are Newport’s two key connections across the rail line, linking residents, businesses and freight routes through the area. During consultation, community members repeatedly raised concerns about access and traffic disruption during construction.
In response, many say they were given clear assurances that both roads would not be closed simultaneously and Champion Road would not be fully closed until the project was completed in late 2026. Those assurances helped ease fears among traders already concerned about the impact of construction.
Now the LXRP has announced that they will no longer be speaking with trader associations that represent many business owners in the area.
A project the community didn’t want
While level crossing removals have been widely supported in other parts of Melbourne, many Newport residents argue their suburb was never a priority.
Locals say neither Champion Road nor Maddox Road had a history of serious safety incidents, nor the kind of chronic congestion seen at other crossings across the city.
We have continually asked the LXRP for the evidence that these crossing removals were needed.
Community opposition was consistent throughout consultation. Residents, traders and community groups raised concerns in submissions, meetings and forums, questioning both the necessity of the project and the proposed design.
The feedback was overwhelmingly against the removal involving the complete and permanent closure of Champion Road. Despite this, the project proceeded.
Consultation without influence
For many locals, the issue is not just the project itself but the process behind it. Consultation is intended to allow communities to shape infrastructure projects.
In Newport, however, many residents say their input had no effect on the outcome. We showed up, we gave feedback, we raised concerns — and nothing changed. It felt like the decisions had already been made.
A key concern raised during consultation was the future of Maddox Road. Locals warned that the proposed design would create a narrower, more constrained road, potentially increasing congestion and introducing new safety risks — the very issues the project was supposed to address.
Motorists heading north using the industrial area link road between Champion and Maddox Roads will be required to turn right onto a busy Maddox road with no traffic management in place.
A network under pressure
The temporary loss of both Champion and Maddox Roads will force traffic onto alternative routes, including Millers Road and Kororoit Creek Road which are already among the West’s busiest corridors.
For residents, this means longer travel times for everyday trips: getting to work, dropping children at school, or attending appointments.
For businesses, the impact could be more severe. When access becomes difficult, customers just don’t come. People don’t think, ‘I’ll take a detour’. They just go somewhere easier.
Freight and delivery access is also a concern. Many businesses rely on regular deliveries, and detours can create delays, added costs, and logistical challenges.
Small businesses under strain
Newport’s shopping strips have already faced years of economic pressure. From pandemic shutdowns to rising operating costs, many small businesses are still in recovery mode. Road closures — particularly overlapping ones — risk compounding that strain.
There’s only so much small businesses can absorb, two weeks might not sound like much, but if trade drops significantly, that can have lasting effects. Business owners say perception is a major issue.
Even if shops remain open, widespread road closures can create the impression that the area is inaccessible.
You lose not just customers for two weeks, you lose habits. People stop coming, and it’s hard to get them back.
Gill Gannon is a resident, business owner, president of the Newport Traders Association, and candidate for Williamstown with The West Party
