Federal infrastructure review: Western Highway works receive almost another $100m

The stalled Western Highway upgrade has received a nine-figure funding boost from the federal government after little progress in recent years.

Victoria’s Western Highway has received almost an additional $100 million in federal funding, but one of its biggest projects remains on hold.

Duplication works between Buangor and Ararat have been stalled since 2020 due to a dispute involving the Djab Wurrung people over a birthing tree near where the road will be upgraded.

In February 2019, the road design was realigned to avoid two trees identified by the Aboriginal community as culturally significant.

One of the birthing trees at the site had its trunk spray-painted with the words “build the road” in August this year.

The federal government has made available the extra money for the Western Highway because works have started.

But the Shepparton bypass is among the projects dumped in a federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King’s infrastructure review, due to cost escalations and a need for more planning work.

Clearing works on the Western Highway duplication began in 2015. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Major Road Projects Victoria is managing the Western Highway duplication works and is getting closer to finalising a cultural heritage management plan to overcome the birthing tree concerns.

“We’re currently working with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation on the development of a new cultural heritage management plan for (Buangor to Ararat),” a spokesman for MRPV said.

The Weekly Times contacted Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation for comment.

The Western Highway recorded 171 crashes, including 18 fatalities and 104 serious injuries, between Ballarat and Stawell in the 10 years to December 31, 2022.

More than $1.2 billion in works on the Western Highway and Princes Highway are being lumped together, and priorities on when projects will be carried out has become the responsibility of the Victorian government.

Close to $1 billion is being spent on seven Western Highway projects and only $262 million on the Princes Highway.

Gippsland MP Darren Chester.

Gippsland MP Darren Chester, whose electorate includes the Princes Highway, said regional areas would be the biggest losers in Ms King’s review.

“It’s remarkable for a regional MP that Minister Catherine King has locked onto a city-centric plan to focus her infrastructure budget on Melbourne, and starve regional communities from the much-needed investment in life-changing and lifesaving projects,” he said.

“The majority of cuts have targeted well supported regional projects like the Shepparton bypass, and there’s no commitment to reducing road trauma which has increased in regional Victoria over the past 18 months.”