Shepparton and Mooroopna will get a second river crossing with the Liberals and Nationals pledging $25 million for the first stage of planning and development for a Second Goulburn River Crossing.
The crossing would strengthen flood resilience, improve freight efficiency and divert heavy vehicles away from McLennan Street in Mooroopna and High Street in Shepparton.
The Nationals candidate for Shepparton, Shane Sali said the commitment was an important step towards delivering a project the Shepparton community had been eagerly awaiting.
“A second river crossing is a priority for our community and we have worked hard to secure this commitment because the people of Shepparton district deserve action, not more talk,” Mr Sali said.
“This funding will progress the detailed planning and investigations needed to build a strong case for major Federal Government investment.”
The commitment will fund design and engineering investigations, environmental and cultural heritage assessments, flood modelling, traffic assessments and an updated business case.
The Federal Liberals and Nationals had previously allocated $208 million towards the Shepparton bypass, which included a second river crossing. That funding was subsequently withdrawn by the Federal Labor Government, showing Labor at state and federal level simply don’t care about the Goulburn Valley.
“Labor has governed Victoria for 21 of the last 25 years yet has failed to identify a second river crossing as a priority,” Mr Sali said.
Liberal candidate for Northern Victoria, Steve Brooks, said Shepparton’s 2022 floods exposed a major weakness in the region’s transport network.
“Communities were cut off, people struggled to get to work and school, and businesses, freight operators and emergency services all felt the impacts,” Mr Brooks said.
“A growing regional city cannot rely on a single primary river crossing.”
The proposed project includes road connections between the Goulburn Valley Highway, Echuca Road and Midland Highway, a bridge and elevated road structure across the Goulburn River floodplain, and key intersection and culvert upgrades.
Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O’Brien, said the announcement was another example of the Liberals and Nationals’ commitment to regional Victoria.
“This is a major announcement for a vital crossing that will save freight operators time and make streets safer for pedestrians, shoppers and local traffic,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Regional Victorians deserve their fair share of infrastructure funding and only the Liberals and Nationals in government will deliver a minimum 25 per cent of infrastructure funding to the regions, up from the current 12 per cent under Labor.”
