Vol. No. Vol. 2618No. 1227
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Wednesday, January 20, 13, 2023 2016 Wednesday, September
Poised to entertain LIVELY: The 66th annual Ararat Eisteddfod is entertaining crowds at Ararat Town Hall this week. Ararat dancers Sophie Birch and Stella Wheeler were among those to take the stage. More pictures, page 31. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Call for answers T
BY ABBY WALTER
he waiting game continues for confirmation of funding to duplicate the Western Highway to Stawell.
Premiership posters INSIDE TODAY
Western Highway Action Committee chair Kevin Erwin said the project delay was ‘frustrating’. The Federal Government announced it would begin a review of its multi-billion dollar Infrastructure Investment Program on May 1. The 90-day independent review sought to allow all levels of government time to consider the infrastructure projects of highest priority, and assess their cost and ability to deliver in the current climate. The review included a $360-million
duplication of the Western Highway between Ararat and Stawell, a $4-million roundabout at the intersection of Henty and Western highways and Golf Course Road in Horsham, and a $3.1-million Seaby Street intersection upgrade in Stawell. Cr Erwin, who is also Northern Grampians Shire mayor, said the Western Highway duplication was important for safety and productivity. “It is the only major highway within two hours of Melbourne that is not duplicated,” he said. “It is the third-busiest interstate freight route and the condition of it is a disgrace. “The duplication to Stawell was supposed to be completed in 2016 but slowly it has ground to a halt.”
Cr Erwin said while a cultural heritage management study and business case works were occurring in the background, lack of certainty about the project was ‘frustrating’. He said the review had put the Wimmera projects on hold. “Roads are important to our people and they need to be funded and built,” Cr Erwin said. “We’re continuing to try to meet with Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King to see where the roads funding is at. Traffic continues to roll, so we will keep trying until we get an outcome.” Cr Erwin said it was also disappointing to see the Djab Wurrung birthing tree near Ararat damaged last month. The tree was poisoned
and had been spray painted with the words, ‘build the road’. “It’s disappointing because the tree wasn’t in the equation to need to be removed for the road,” Cr Erwin said. More than 6000 vehicles travel the Western Highway west of Ballarat each day, including 1500 trucks, and traffic is expected to double by 2025. Since 2013, 55 kilometres of the highway has been duplicated between Ballarat and Buangor. In the 10 years to August 2022, there were 163 crashes on the Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell, including 18 fatalities and 90 people seriously injured. It included 27 head-on collisions involving 110 people, Continued page 5
IN THIS ISSUE • Mental health support • Horsham Show • Premiership drought broken Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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