Baw Baw Shire Council has launched a community advocacy campaign calling for state government action and investment to plan a better road network for the local towns of Drouin and Warragul.
Council’s ‘Fix our Road Network’ is an online platform that allows residents and road users to tell government ministers why they think arterial road planning is urgently needed in Baw Baw Shire’s largest towns.
“We know traffic in Warragul and Drouin is a concern for our community and our businesses. Baw Baw Shire’s 100-year-old network of State-managed arterial roads is past its use-by date. It just isn’t designed to cope with our region’s rapid growth,” said Mayor, Annemarie McCabe.
“With more than 20,000 new homes expected to be built in the coming years we urgently need the Victorian Government to plan and upgrade our roads to accommodate our growing population. We need a ground swell of local voices to make sure the state government pays attention and builds the road network Baw Baw Shire needs and deserves.
“The ‘Fix our Road Network’ advocacy campaign is about joining forces as a community to push for vital planning and expenditure to ensure our roads are fit for the future.”
Council is advocating for the Victorian Government to allocate $3 million to Regional Roads Victoria to plan a fit-for-purpose, future ready, arterial network.
The recommended road upgrades would include building three new town alternate heavy vehicle routes to remove heavy agricultural and industrial vehicles from major town centres, the duplication of Princes Way between Drouin and Warragul and works to make several major intersections safer and more efficient.
Arterial Road Network Planning is a top-level advocacy priority for Baw Baw Shire Council in 2023, the Council said.
