State Pumps $960m into Victorian Freight Corridors

A major freight connection in Victoria, the Sunraysia Highway, will be the first to benefit from a $964-million funding package by the state government.

The highway at Lascelles will be the first major road connection to be upgraded under the maintenance project. 

The highway is a 330km north-south rural route in western Victoria, linking Ouyen, 441km north-west of Melbourne, to north-western Ballarat.

It connects grain and produce farms from across Victoria to domestic and international markets in South Australia and the southern part of Victoria. 

Under the work, 1km of road will be rebuilt to better handle the large number of trucks that use it daily. 

The Sunraysia Highway is component of the road and rail network that supports the state’s 36-billion freight industry that employs more than 260,000 people across all parts of the supply chain. 

▲ The highway connects agricultural industries in northern Victoria to markets in South Australia and the rest of Victoria.

Other projects under the nine month, $964-million program—the largest amount to be spent in a single year on road maintenance in the state’s history—include minor and major roads in Barwon South West, Gippsland, Hume, Loddon Mallee, Grampians and Melbourne regions.

Freight connections are being revamped across the state as rail infrastructe comes on line to get freight trucks off main roads, reducing congestion and traffic. 

Developers are watching the moves as new and upgraded transport corridors and connections create opportunities for residential, industrial and office projects at key nodes.