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proudly serving Brimbank and the North West
11 MARCH, 2025
Finals season upon us While many people go away for the long weekend, it was finals time for many of the summer sports. Brimbank and north-west sports lovers had a range of cricket, bowls and baseball finals on around the region and wider west. To find out how your team went, turn to page 19.
Deer Park’s Aaron Shellie. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 463997_04
$1b for Western Highway By Laura Michell A long-awaited upgrade of the Western Highway between Melton and Caroline Springs is finally on the cards, with the federal government to spend $1 billion upgrading the road. Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King announced the funding – part of a $1.1 billion package which also includes money for works near Ballarat – on Thursday, March 6. The state and federal government previously funded a business case for the upgrade, announced prior to the 2022 federal election. Work on the business case was completed in December.
Ms King said the upgrade was needed to accommodate the number of people who use the road daily and the region’s projected population growth. According to Melton council, the Melton to Caroline Springs stretch of the highway is used by 86,00 motorists daily – including more than 5400 trucks. Modelling predicts this will rise to 110,000 vehicles daily by 2031. “We know how important this road is from a freight and logistics point of view, but we also know how important it is to be able to get people to work,” Ms King said. “We know what happens from 6am to 9.30am in the morning and when people are trying to get home, that tail back, getting back into Melton in particular ... this is a significant and serious investment from the Albanese
Labor Government to make sure we improve these corridors.” State Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said the federal funding would enable the sate government to look at the upgrade options proposed in the business case and decide the best course of action. As reported by Star Weekly, the upgrade of the Western Highway has been one of Melton council’s key advocacy priorities for a number of years. Last week, council launched its federal election advocacy campaign, calling for investment in the highway, Hopkins Road, Melton Highway, and the Palmers Road Corridor, north of the Western Highway (including Robinsons Road, Westwood Drive and Calder Park Drive).
At the time, mayor Steve Abboushi said the Western Highway was the second-busiest freight corridor in Australia, with over five million tonnes freight movement annually and had fallen well behind in terms of its condition and safety. Cr Abboushi described the $1 billion funding commitment as fantastic news for the community. “We are delighted with today’s announcement. The Western Highway upgrade has been a top priority for council and the community, and this funding will deliver much-needed upgrades so our residents can get to and from work safely and spend more time with their families,” he said on Thursday. Continued: Page 2.
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