A full diamond interchange will be built at Calder Park Drive regardless of which party wins the May 3 federal election.
On Monday, April 21, the federal opposition pledged $300 million for the project. The funding pledge matches a $300 million commitment made by the federal and state governments on March 31.
As reported by Star Weekly, $50 million was allocated to the Calder Freeway by the previous Liberal government in 2019, with the state government also committing $50 million.
But the funding was axed by the now-federal government in November 2023, following an infrastructure spending review.
At the time, Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the project 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.
Liberal candidate for Gorton John Fletcher said he had been contacted by residents and road safety advocates about the need to urgently restore funding to the freeway.
Liberal candidate for Hawke Simmone Cottom took aim at Labor for axing the funding during a visit to Hillside on April 21, alongside opposition leader Peter Dutton and Mr Fletcher.
“This overpass could be finished and open right now if Labor had delivered it when originally budgeted,” she said,
“John Fletcher and I have listened to our local communities’ needs, and it’s time for change.”
Calder Action Group president Russell Mowatt said the Liberal party’s pledge meant a “massive weight has been lifted off our group’s shoulders”.
“We can finally breathe a sigh of relief and the cloud of uncertainty has parted and the sun is shining,” he said.
We would like to thank all stakeholders in this process, in particular our partnership with Brimbank City Council and their decision to make this project a number one priority.
“A heartfelt thank you to both sides of politics with their future funding commitment to the Calder Freeway.”
Brimbank council said it was thrilled by the opposition’s announcement.
“The multimillion-dollar election promise will now guarantee that this interchange will be built, regardless of the federal election outcome,” council said in a social media post.
“The Calder Freeway is one of Australia’s most dangerous roads, and Brimbank has long been calling for it to be fixed, to improve safety, reduce congestion and provide better access.
“This is welcome news for everyone who uses the Calder Freeway. It’s something we’ve been advocating for since we launched the ‘Fix the Calder’ campaign in 2021.”
