Community backlash needed to drive road solutions

A major backlash from locals and other road users in Warragul and Drouin, spearheaded through Baw Baw Shire council’s “Fix Our Roads” campaign, appears one of the few ways left to convince government of the need for action to deal with ever-increasing traffic congestion and safety issues.

The problems for the rapidly growing populations in both towns is nothing new.

Almost a decade ago - 2013 - a Gippsland Freight Master Plan prepared by the Committee for Gippsland and Regional Development Australia listed an alternative heavy route at Drouin, by-passing Princes Way through the town’s business area, as one of its five priority projects for the region.

Regional Road Victoria’s eastern region also had it as a priority.

The shire’s “Fix Our Roads” campaign launched last week urges people to access through a QR code a template to send their complaints about the lack of action to selected state and federal Members of Parliament, initially seeking a study estimated to cost about $3 million to develop possible solutions.

Council is urging residents to join the campaign to make their views known and encourage colleagues and friends to also give support.

The issue has been on council’s agenda for many years but lobbying that has built up in the past two to three years has not drawn any commitment from government.

April 2021

Baw Baw mayor Danny Goss said the “liveability of the shire” was under threat and urged the state government to fund a study into a by-pass of Drouin and upgrades to the arterial road networks serving Warragul and Drouin.

May 2021

Baw Baw and South Gippsland Safe Freight Networks officials and representatives of major regional transport companies meet council officers to express their concerns stating that there were 600 truck movements per day from South Gippsland into Warragul and Drouin.

June 2021

Traffic issues raised by senior council officers at a meeting with an adviser to the state transport minister Ben Carroll. Mayor Goss pushed the need with Mr Carroll for a study of possible solutions to be undertaken.

July 2021

Cr Goss and chief executive officer Mark Dupe discuss the matter further at a meeting in Drouin with senior officials from the Transport Department and RRV’s Gippsland office.

February 2022

Council receives report that “painted a grim picture of traffic problems in Drouin and Warragul” and appeals through its Facebook page for the public to write to government representatives seeking action and also spread the message to others.

Council lobbies four relevant state ministers and local state and federal MPs and seeks support of One Gippsland, Food and Fibre Gippsland and Peri-urban Councils Victoria..

March 2022

Council information stand at Farm World at Lardner Park to encourage people to add their voices to the campaign.

October 2022

Consultants’ report to council finds the arterial roads at Warragul and Drouin carry 13,000 vehicles a day and can no longer cater for residential, commercial and industrial traffic. Estimates indicated if nothing, or minimal works are done the cost to the shire’s economy could be $1.5 billion over the next 30 years.

In launching the “Fix Our Roads” campaign last week mayor Annemarie McCabe said the road network was facing unsustainable pressure from residential development, a growing population, demand for local agriculture and resources and a promised new hospital at Drouin East.

She said the community and businesses were concerned with the situation.

People can support the campaign by scanning the above barcode which will take you to www.bawbawadvocacy.good.do/FixOurRoadNetwork/ click on the Take Action page, fill out the template letter and hit send.