Ripon MP Louise Staley has quizzed the state government over when Stawell residents could expect to see a duplication of the Western Highway.
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Ms Staley asked for an update on the phase of the $660 million highway project from Roads Minister Luke Donnellan in parliament last week as a ‘matter of public importance’.
“This project is meant to duplicate the road to Stawell, but this government does not care at all about Stawell,” she said.
“The government has utterly failed to put another cent into the project to go from Ararat to Stawell.”
The state government said it provided $10m of funding for the pre-construction work on the section in the 2016-17 state budget.
Mr Donnellan said the investment would ensure the project's impact on the environment and community is minimised.
“It’s so we can get on with delivering this vital safety and capacity upgrade,” he said.
He did not state how much the government has provided to the Ararat and Stawell section of the project since the initial investment.
The 12.5 kilometre duplication between Buangor and Ararat started earlier this month after several delays, but was halted by protests by Aboriginal activists.
Ms Staley also ridiculed Mr Donnellan’s sod-turning ceremony for the duplication works, claiming it was ‘fake’.
“Everyone around the region would know that you do not build a road in western Victoria over winter, so we are not going to see another centimetre of this road built before the election,” Ms Staley said in parliament.
The Western Highway has seen 55kms duplicated so far between Ballarat and Buangor as part of a join state and federal government project to improve the Western Highway between Melbourne and the South Australian border.
The $42m contract to duplicate the highway to Ararat was awarded in February to a joint venture of multinational company CPB Contractors and Sydney-based firm Seymour Whyte Constructions.
READ MORE:
- Western Highway duplication tree removal at Ararat: Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation denies supporting project
- Blockade of Western Highway duplication tree removal at Ararat: Department of Premier and Cabinet supports VicRoads
- Western Highway duplication tree removal between Ararat and Buangor blockaded by Djabwurrung Aboriginal activists
- VicRoads will begin tree removal along Western Highway duplication outside Ararat despite continued opposition
- State and federal governments award a contract for Western Highway duplication between Buangor and Ararat
