Hannah Hammoud
Residents are refusing to let up over their demands for funding to fix the Calder Freeway, issuing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a ‘please explain’.
In November last year, the federal government released its long-awaited national infrastructure review detailing that the Calder Freeway would not be receiving the multi-million dollar funding that was promised.
The federal government had allocated $50 million in funding in 2019 with the state government announcing it would also allocate $50 million to the project in 2021. The future of the whole upgrade is unclear, with the state government yet to make any announcements on whether there would be changes to its funding allocation.
Calder Action Group president Russell Mowatt has written to the Prime Minister seeking a “rational explanation” as to why the federal government has withdrawn its funding.
Mr Mowatt also put the question to the Prime Minister asking if the federal government had any plans to “remedy the situation into the future.”
Mr Mowatt said the news has sent “shock waves” throughout the community which has spent decades lobbying for improvements.
“… The Calder Action Group has campaigned for many years to avoid future congestion on this important link for all north-western Victoria,” Mr Mowatt wrote.
“Predictions show that with population growth, this will be the second worst morning congestion in Victoria by 2031. Indeed the Calder Freeway towards Melbourne on a working week is – we believe- the second slowest freeway in Victoria.
“… It begs the question what lasting legacy will you and your government be leaving the citizens of northern region Victoria on the Calder Freeway as a national road of importance during your term in office?”
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Calder Freeway funding was one that was committed to by the previous coalition government.
“As part of responding to the findings of the Independent Strategic Review of the Infrastructure Investment Program, the Australian Government made necessary decisions to no longer provide funding at this time to some projects,” Minister King said.
“The review found that some projects did not demonstrate merit, were not realistically going to be delivered with the funding available, or had made little to no progress over a significant amount of time.”
The Calder Freeway has been the subject of widespread community concern for more than a decade and was named as one of Victoria’s top 10 deadliest roads in 2021, with Brimbank council launching a ‘Fix the Calder Campaign’ the same year.
Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) Authority had previously begun investigations and planning for a business case for the Calder Freeway and Calder Park Drive interchange as part of the upgrades.
Question marks also remain over the state government’s own $50 million funding, with the state government still refusing to confirm whether its own $50 million investment for Calder Freeway upgrades will go ahead.
The state government was contacted for comment.
