The Nationals Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, and Federal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, have joined forces to campaign for the state and federal governments to commit funding for the long-awaited Traralgon by-pass.
Mr Cameron said it was also time the Minister for Planning reassessed current coal overlay provisions that are outdated and preventing progression of the by-pass.
“The Department of Transport and Planning declared there won’t be a Traralgon by-pass until Loy Yang is rehabilitated, which is some 15 years away, and that’s not good enough,” he said.
“The state government needs to reassess the current planning overlays, which are more than 40 years old, and if appropriate consider re-zoning part of the land so we can get on with delivering the Traralgon by-pass.
“The Latrobe Valley and Gippsland more broadly has been crying out for this project for more decades, and it’s a crucial piece of the puzzle for the region’s economic prosperity.
“We simply cannot afford for the Traralgon by-pass to be on the backburner any longer and we are imploring the state government to do what it takes to prioritise its delivery.”
Mr Chester said local residents and the broader Gippsland community needed greater certainty around the project which would create jobs, reduce congestion in Traralgon, improve road safety and boost productivity.
“The Traralgon by-pass has been spoken about for over 30 years and while some work has been done around planning it has come to a complete standstill,” he said.
“Although the state government owns the road, the majority of the funding for a project of this scope would come from the federal government and we need to get some numbers in front of Treasury.
“We are consulting with local businesses and school councils to garner feedback and support for the by-pass, which is resoundingly supported by Gippslanders who understand the congestion on our roads is unsustainable and unsafe.
“This project is strongly supported by both Latrobe City and Wellington Shire, and we need both state and federal governments to come to the party, do their jobs, and deliver the by-pass.”
