Road upgrades across regional Victoria to help the competitiveness of agricultural and horticultural industries will be backed by almost $4 million in funding recently announced by Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan.
In Birchip today, Candy Broad, Member for Northern Victoria Region said $250,000 has been allocated to Buloke Shire Council for the Seven Mile Road upgrade
This is one of twenty nine roads projects will be developed by 16 regional and rural councils as part of the Brumby Labor Government’s Local Roads to Markets program.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to deliver key infrastructure projects in regional and rural Victoria,” Ms Broad said.
“Upgrading these major freight routes for B-double truck access will improve the efficiency and competitiveness of agricultural and horticultural producers and related industries in regional and rural Victoria.
“Australia’s freight output is expected to double by 2020, with road transport expected to handle the majority of this growth.
“The Brumby Labor Government recognises that B-double trucks will play an important role in handling the freight load in rural and regional Victoria in the years ahead.
“Local Roads to Market Program funding is being made available to councils for projects that will better link farms with processing centres and markets such as in the dairy, timber, grain, fruit and processed foods sectors”, Ms Broad said.
Buloke Shire Mayor Reid Mather welcomed the funding. “Every freight task in Buloke begins on a local road”, Mr Mather said
The announcement of $3.959 million in funding follows the first round of the program announced last year which provided $2.617 million to 12 councils for 20 projects, bringing the Brumby Government’s total commitment under the Local Roads to Market Program to date to over $6.5 million.
Additional funding for future projects under the program was announced in the Victorian Transport Plan.
The Local Roads to Market program is part of the Regional Infrastructure Development Fund,
which has provided $447.3 million to fund 215 projects worth more than $1.26 billion.