Wait continues on highway decision

Progress of dual-carriageway development on a 12.5-kilometre section of the Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat remains in the hands of Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley.

Member for Wannon Dan Tehan confirmed Ms Ley was still considering a Federal Court ruling that called for a fresh decision on a 2018 application to protect the area.

The court in December upheld an appeal from members of Djab Wurrung

Heritage Protection Embassy regarding the development.

Judge Alan Robertson quashed Minister Ley’s July 16 decision to reject the embassy members’ application based on ‘legal error’ involving culturally significant trees.

Mr Tehan stressed the Western Highway duplication between Buangor and Ararat was a section of one of the busiest freight routes in Australia.

“It requires an urgently needed safety upgrade, an upgrade that has involved many years of planning and consultation,” he said.

“Minister Susan Ley is looking closely at the ruling by Judge Robertson, lessons it might offer and any future course of action in relation to it.

“Consideration of the matter will follow the processes outlined under the legislation taking into account Judge Robertson’s comments on the Minister’s previous findings.”

“It requires an urgently needed safety upgrade, an upgrade that has involved many years of planning and consultation” – Dan Tehan

Mr Tehan said the Federal Government remained committed to completing the Western Highway duplication from Ballarat to Stawell, committing $360-million in April last year for a final section between Ararat and Stawell.

Apart from heritage-based concerns, efforts to change the route of the 12.5-kilometre development section have also included community-based Keep Original Route Supporters, KORS.

KORS, in arguing the planned development route would involve significant environmental as well as heritage damage, continues to promote an alternative ‘lower-impact’ route. Protesters camped at a site along the section of highway for much of the second half of last year.

State Government agency Major Roads Projects Victoria is managing the $672-million project, which started in 2010.

There are no plans to continue the dual-carriageway project north-west beyond Stawell, which represents the start of the historic driver ‘fatigue zone’ to Bordertown in South Australia.