by Prealene Khera
After withdrawing funds for the Calder Freeway in 2023, the federal government has put the project back on the agenda, with a fresh injection of $300 million announced towards its repair.
Being delivered in partnership with the state government, the funding will be used to build a long-awaited diamond interchange at Calder Park Drive, which once complete will improve safety, reduce congestion and provide better access.
It’s a move that has been well-received by the Calder Action Group, whose members have been pushing for upgrades to the freeway for 18 years.
The group’s president Russell Mowatt said the announcement was welcomed.
“The federal government has finally listened to the community,” he said.
“So we’d like to give credit where it’s due.”
The project is part of the federal and state government’s joint $1.2 billion road blitz, with contributions of $1 billion from the Australian government and $200 million from the Victorian government.
The funding comes nearly two years after the federal Labor government cancelled the $50 million promise made by the previous Liberal government in 2019.
The project was axed by Infrastructure Minister Catherine King in November 2023 following an infrastructure spending review.
At the time, Ms King said it was not realistically going to be delivered with the available funding, had made little to no progress over a significant amount of time, and did not align with national priorities.
The decision was followed by the state government revealing it would indefinitely pause funding for the freeway upgrades.
In response to the delay, Brimbank council relaunched the ‘Fix the Calder’ campaign in 2024, working with the Calder Action Group and raising the matter in Canberra with key decision makers on multiple occasions.
Mayor Thuy Dang said the new funding announcement was a win for the community, commuters and everyone who uses the Calder Freeway.
When it is built, the new interchange will improve access on and off the Calder Freeway.
