CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr CHESTER (Gippsland—Deputy Leader of the National Party) (16:11): Despite being talked about for more than 40 years, plans to build a bypass on the Princes Highway around Traralgon have stalled due to a lack of action by the Labor Party at both the state and federal levels. Today I'll be submitting a petition to the federal parliament, which has been signed by more than 1,300 Gippslanders who want less talk and more action on this project.
At the 2025 federal election, the coalition promised to provide $5 million to work with the Victorian government to finalise the design, approvals and costings of the proposed Traralgon bypass. Without a final design, we can't move to costings and construction work. The Labor Party isn't interested, despite the social, economic and environmental benefits the bypass would bring.
As the petition notes, in 2009, the Latrobe Planning Scheme formalised a route for a proposed Traralgon bypass on the highway. Regional Roads Victoria undertook a planning study for the bypass on behalf of Victorian government between 2017 and 2018. The project is supported by local councils right across my electorate.
Providing a Traralgon bypass would reduce congestion, improve safety and productivity, increase liveability for locals and boost the visitor economy in Gippsland. I've written to the state government, yet again, to encourage the Labor Party to act. They need to act first, before the Commonwealth will take any action on this project.
According to the Transport Victoria website, it has undertaken studies, including extensive transport modelling to understand the likely impact of a bypass on local roads now and into the future. They also claim to have engaged with key stakeholders, including local government, businesses, the freight industry, landowners and the community to understand the current issues with the Traralgon road network and the likely benefits and impacts of building a bypass.
They also claim to have reached 88,000 people through various engagement measures, but they've never released a report. Instead, we hear excuses and platitudes about the final route requiring more information due to the existence of the Loy Yang mine. I've spoken to the mine operators, and that is complete and utter bureaucratic bulldust.
Nothing is getting any cheaper in Victoria while waiting for this Labor government to build anything. Obviously any proposal to build the bypass at some stage in the future will require a significant financial contribution by the Commonwealth government. We need more information.
There are now 15 intersections involving roundabouts and traffic lights to get through Traralgon, and it takes somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes and much longer during peak times. Building the bypass would also create much needed jobs during the construction phase which is envisaged. Now the full highway duplication to Sale has been completed primarily through the 80 per cent funding provided by the former coalition government, the next road transport infrastructure project in our region is to bypass Traralgon for the reasons I've described.
As the freight volume grows, it's becoming an increasing a point of delay and is also having impacts on the amenity of Traralgon and the safety of local residents. Finally, there are potential disaster benefits associated with a well-designed bypass. A study undertaken by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority in 2016 recommended the construction of a retarding basin upstream, where the proposed bypass is planned, would also form part of a crucial element in mitigating floods which can emanate from the Traralgon Creek.
The time for action is now.