Highway lobbyists:we’re not beaten

Agroup lobbying to change the route of Western Highway dual-carriageway development south-east of Ararat has vowed to fight on despite a Supreme Court ruling.

Keep Original Route Supporters, KORS, chair Neil Marriot said the group was ‘bruised but not beaten’ after the court ruled the project ‘valid’.

Plaintiffs, including KORS, had argued planning decisions to approve the 12.5-kilometre section of the highway between Buangor and Ararat was invalid. Legal wrangling over the issue has occurred for several years. The impact the planned route will have on environmental and heritage sites is at the centre of the dispute.

Lobbyists have long argued construction should involve an alternative route that would be ‘more environmentally acceptable, quicker, safer and millions of dollars cheaper’. But the Supreme Court dismissed the case.

Mr Marriot said Ararat district people working to improve a ‘mistaken route’ had been surprised by the ruling.

“We are disappointed that Victoria’s planning law does not better protect our land. The lack of independence in the EES process allows for Vicroads to appoint their preferred consultants to prepare the EES,” he said.

“In our case, the flawed and deficient EES was used to inform the route selection, by a panel that included VicRoads engineers and did not include an environmentalist.

“But we believe federal legal matters are still to be resolved before works extend from the current work site near Mt Langi Ghiran. We are encouraged by the positive finding in the recent Federal Court hearing to restrict logging that threatens our endangered Leadbeater’s possum.

“Victorians are entitled to believe the possum was being protected by the Environmental and Biodiversity Protection, EPBC, Act. The same Act also applies to the highway project.”

Mr Marriot said KORS members were involved because they prioritised ‘habitat over highway’.

“We are very clear that minimising impact has not been done here, not by a long shot,” he said.

“This story should be a concern for all Victorians who are paying over the odds for the planning and the construction of this road. We are continuing our efforts to present a constructive solution to our government.” Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Embassy protesters have been set up at a section of the disputed route site since 2018. Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley is considering a separate Federal Court ruling from December last year that called for a fresh decision on a 2018 application to protect the site.

State Government agency Major Roads Projects Victoria is managing the $672-million project.

The Federal Government committed $360-million in April last year for a final Ararat-to-stawell section.