By Olivia Condous
The Western Highway will receive long-awaited upgrades under a new federal Labor election pledge.
The project would see $10 million invested into a business case to work with the City of Melton council on developing solutions for the section of road between Melton and Caroline Springs.
The pledge announcement comes after the City of Melton launched the Fix Our Roads campaign on April 4, calling on the state and federal governments for more investment in major roads in the western suburbs.
Opposition infrastructure, transport and regional development spokesperson Catherine King said the Western Highway traffic problems were well-known to all residents in the west of the state.
‘Upgrading this road won’t only get locals home more quickly and safely, but it will allow businesses to move goods from the regions to the city without having to factor in daily road congestion,” Ms King said.
According to a media release from the Labor Party, 77,000 vehicles travel the stretch from Melton to Caroline Springs every day.
Gorton MP Brendan O’Connor said the upgrades were a great investment for the local community.
‘Whether it’s building the Deer Park Bypass or planning the next steps here, only a Labor Government will invest in the road upgrades our community needs,” he said.
The City of Melton Fix Our Roads campaign identified six major road corridors in need of funding for upgrades, including the Western Highway, Melton Highway, Christies Road, Hopkins Road, the Robinsons Road, Westwood Drive, Calder Park Drive corridor and construction of the Calder Park interchange.
The campaign highlights a lack of funding for Melton in the Victorian Big Build projects, while the neighbouring local government areas of Hume, Whittlesea and Wyndham received a share of $4.7 billion in funding.
Mayor Goran Kesic said the growing community needed strong and efficient transport and infrastructure to improve road congestion and safety.
“In the next 30 years, our population will double to more than 485,000, that’s greater than the size of Canberra today,” Cr Kesic said.
“Yet serious congestion and safety issues plague the City of Melton roads every single day.”
Cr Kesic said the council was calling on the government to address the urgent safety and congestion issues affecting the community, as between 2014 and 2020, nine fatalities and more than 477 crashes resulting in injuries had occurred on the targeted roads.
The council is encouraging residents to participate in an online email campaign in order to reach state and federal ministers. Details: www.fixourroads.com.au/.
