Hume City Council has welcomed the Federal Government’s budget decision to invest $2.3 billion in Melbourne’s north, including upgrading Mickleham Road and the Beveridge Intermodal Freight Terminal.
Council says Mickleham Road is a key north-south link in the Northern Growth Corridor, connecting established communities in Hume with the fast-growing suburbs of Greenvale, Craigieburn and Mickleham, which are expected to grow by almost 40% by 2036.
Council has long advocated for funding for this important arterial road as traffic volumes have increased by over 50% in the last seven years, it said in a statement.
“This $2.3 billion infrastructure funding injection will create thousands of jobs and stimulate the economy across the north of Melbourne as we rebound from COVID-19,” said Hume City Council Mayor, Carly Moore.
“We thank the Australian Government for these strategic investments, which reinforce our position as a powerhouse capable of driving growth in the Victorian and national economies.
“Hume City Council is excited to see significant Federal investment in the Mickleham Road upgrade, after calling for State and Federal funding for this project over many years.
The Mayor said Council awaits the detail on the project in the hope that the funding will see the road duplicated between Somerton Road and Craigieburn Road.
“Should the funding not be enough to get the road duplicated to Craigieburn Road we will ramp up our efforts to call on the Victorian Government to match the Federal contribution and help relieve traffic congestion for the fast-growing communities of Melbourne’s north,” she said.
The Federal funding is part of a wider Melbourne Intermodal Terminal Package, which will pump $3.1 billion into the state’s freight network, connecting road and rail, and removing 5,500 truck movements per day from Melbourne arterial roads over the next 15 years.