INDEPENDENT Member for Shepparton District, Suzanna Sheed, has called on the State Government to urgently release the business case for the proposed Shepparton bypass project.
The bypass includes three individual projects which have been bought together under one business case to provide an alternative north-south route for trucks, taking them away from the Shepparton CBD.
The business case for the project was funded in the 2017-18 State Budget and was due to be released to the public in 2019. Transport Minister, Jacinta Allan, had revised this release date to late 2020.
The Federal Government has already committed $208M to the project.
In urging the Minister to release the business case, Ms Sheed told parliament last week:
“The Shepparton bypass is an important safety and freight project for our region, allowing for a second river crossing of the Goulburn River north of Shepparton.
“It will be a critical part of the freight supply chain network locally and as part of the national highway system, removing much heavy traffic from the central business districts of Shepparton and Mooroopna.”
About 25 percent of all trucks registered in Victoria are from the Goulburn Valley, and a quarter of the value of the state’s agriculture produce comes from the region.
*When contacted by The Adviser, Ms Allan’s office responded saying, “Major Roads Project Victoria completed a final draft of the Business Case for the bypassing Shepparton project in December 2020. It is now undergoing review and evaluation with the Department of Transport.”*
The Adviser received no details of when the business case would be released.
Ms Sheed said the Shepparton and Mooroopna communities had done everything asked of them and it is time for the State Government to step up.
“My community has done everything asked of it to procure the funding for this bypass, including breaking down what is a very major project into much smaller, manageable parts.
“It is very important that we as a community understand what is involved in achieving the transport outcomes we need and what the cost will be. The business case will help to inform us, and I call on the minister to release it.”
