Plans for Bulla Bypass knocked back by planning minister

UPDATE: Hume Council says the Bulla Bypass is needed right now, after news a proposal including the bypass was knocked back.

A SIX-lane freeway proposed to the north of Melbourne Airport incorporating a Bulla Bypass has been blocked.

State Planning Minister Richard Wynne has sent back plans for the road to Roads Minister Luke Donnellan that would have broken up 17 properties, and seen 37 compulsorily acquired.

Part of Woodlands Historic Park would also have been built over.

Mr Wynne said he was reluctant to break up agricultural land as the VicRoads plan for Melbourne Airport Link had proposed.

“We know there is a need for the Bulla Bypass as Melbourne’s west continues to grow and we need a solution which delivers a new road with minimal impact to surrounding properties,” Mr Wynne said.

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“I have asked that other options be investigated which avoid cutting through properties to protect our green wedge.”

Western Metropolitan Liberal MP and Bulla resident Bernie Finn told Sunbury Leader he was astounded by the news.

“It’s a huge kick in the guts for Bulla and Sunbury residents,” he said.

“VicRoads has obviously gone to painstaking lengths to draw up this plan which would help to alleviate at least two periods each working day when Bulla is cut in half.”

Mr Finn said while the state coalition had no formal policy on the Bulla Bypass, he personally felt the VicRoads plan should be implemented, having campaigned on the issue for 15 years.

Sunbury state Labor MP Josh Bull said it was wrong to say the project had been cancelled as no part of it had been approved or funded.

“We have learned as a Government with the Melbourne Metro and Tullamarine widening that you need to get the plans right,” he said.

“I’m not supportive of any process that takes away property unnecessarily.”

He said Mr Wynne had asked VicRoads for alternative planning options to be considered in the near future.

In June, Hume Council renewed calls for the bypass, indicating there were 24,395 bikes, cars and trucks using the single lanes of Sunbury-Bulla Road every day.

It is expected another 14,000 homes will be built east of Sunbury in the coming years and thousands along Lancefield Rd and Sunbury Rd.

Hume chief executive officer Domenic Isola told Leader that council had “long advocated for a bypass to address the increase in traffic and safety issues being experienced now”.

“With the future projected population growth of Sunbury, these problems will only get worse,” he said.

“We are committed to working with VicRoads and other levels of government to provide the best outcome for the community.

“We also strongly believe that this project is needed now rather than in 20-25 years that is currently projected.”

Dr Andrew Clarke of Living Legends said the proposed reconfiguration was set to knock out the front entrance of his tourist property.

“By no means were we going to be as affected as some of the farm properties, but a six or seven minute journey from the airport and even from Sunbury was going to become a big diversion and make it much harder to get here,” he said.

“Something definitely has to be done about the traffic though, its certainly needed.”

Sitting Jacksons Creek Ward councillor Jack Medcraft said precinct structure plans being formulated for growth in Sunbury would only further place pressure on the road.

He said if no bypass was built then a duplicate Bulla bridge should be constructed.

The current bluestone Bulla bridge, built in 1869, is the peak of congestion on the busy commuter route.