Major Works Program Proposed

The Victorian Government has made some press releases in early November 2016 which may be good news for Members:

Major Works Set To Transform Outer-Western Roads

The Victorian Government has called for Expressions of Interest for the western package of the Outer Suburban Arterial Roads (OSARs) Program – an Australian first, $1.8 billion investment.

It combines eight high-priority road upgrades with maintenance on more than 700 kilometres of road stretching from Werribee to Footscray, ensuring motorists benefit from new high quality roads while the existing network is maintained to a high standard for years to come.

The upgrades will involve a combination of duplication and widening works to western arterial roads including:

• Dunnings Road and Palmers Road, from Point Cook Road to Princes Freeway, Point Cook
• Palmers Road, from Princes Freeway to Western Freeway, Truganina
• Derrimut Road, from Sayers Road to Dohertys Road, Tarneit
• Leakes Road, from Fitzgerald Road to Derrimut Road, Truganina
• Dohertys Road, from Fitzgerald Road to Grieve Parade, Laverton North
• Dohertys Road, from Foundation Road to Palmers Road, Truganina
• Princes Freeway/Forsyth Road interchange, Hoppers Crossing
• Duncans Road interchange, Werribee/Werribee South

The eight high-priority road upgrades will be delivered within five years, and the maintenance and rehabilitation contract will continue for a further 20 years.

The Request for Proposal is expected to go out in early 2017, with construction expected to begin 2018.

Safeguarding Major Roads and Highways Across Northern Victoria

Major maintenance works are underway across north and north eastern Victoria to make regional roads safer and more reliable for drivers.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan visited Shepparton today to announce the works which will take place across the two regions over the next 12 months.

More than $40 million in improvements has begun to rehabilitate sections of road to make them smoother and resistant to further damage.

A number of sites will receive major repairs and maintenance works including the Hume Highway, Goulburn Valley Highway, McIvor Highway, Kiewa Valley Highway, Midland Highway and key rural roads including Benambra-Corryong Road, Benalla-Yarrawonga Road and Bacchus Marsh-Gisborne Road.

Over 250 kilometres of road will also be resealed across the regions including sections of the Murray Valley Highway, Melba Highway, Borung Highway, Pyrenees Highway and Great Alpine.

The works will be delivered by regional contractors including the North Eastern Maintenance Alliance.

Latrobe Valley

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled a new Latrobe Valley Authority and a big-spending infrastructure program to deal with the fallout from Engie’s decision to close Hazelwood next March, lifting the value of its support for the struggling region to $266 million.  Premier Daniel Andrews, has launched a $266 million regional economic rescue plan.  The package, which aims to avoid a social and economic crisis in Victoria’s southeast, includes $174 million for job-creating road and rail projects.

Additionally, Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the Federal Government package would include $20 million for new infrastructure projects in the region and $20 million for the Latrobe Valley to become the country’s 10th regional jobs and investment project.

Ballarat Line Upgrade To Be Delivered By Australia’s Best

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan announced a dedicated project team within Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA) will officially oversee the $518 million Ballarat Line Upgrade.

This includes duplication of the line between Deer Park and Melton to run to more frequent and reliable services to Melbourne’s outer western suburbs, Melton, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Ballarat.

The Victorian Government’s Ballarat Line Upgrade will also duplicate a three kilometre section of single track west of Warrenheip, build new crossing loops and create new train stabling to support more frequent, reliable services through Melbourne’s west and communities along the Ballarat line.

The upgrade will also build second platforms at Bacchus Marsh and Ballan stations and the existing platforms at Rockbank Station will be extended so passengers can use each carriage to get on or off the train.

Victorian Building Approvals Hit New Record

The value of Victorian building approvals recorded the highest ever monthly figure for the state in September, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The monthly record of $3.5 billion was driven by non-residential approvals increasing by 52.9 per cent – underlining the strength of the Victorian economy and the confidence in it.

The strong result is a boost for jobs, and was supported by a number of big approvals across diverse sectors including commercial, health and aged-care, and accommodation.

During the 12 months to September, Victoria had the second highest value of total building approvals in Australia, and the second highest number of dwelling unit approvals.

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