A call for a commitment to fund the duplication of the Princes Highway from Colac to the South Australian border has fallen on deaf ears.
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The Great South Coast Group – comprising Warrnambool, Corangamite, Moyne, Glenelg and Southern Grampian councils – called for a $300 million upgrade of the highway as part of its priority list in the lead-up to Saturday’s state election.
The Standard approached all nine candidates for the lower house seat of South West Coast on Thursday and found the call sparked plenty of talk, but no cash.
Independent candidate Michael Neoh said duplication of the highway from Warrnambool to Port Fairy should be a roads priority.
He called for the duplication to be done in stages, starting with the section between Warrnambool and Port Fairy.
"That should be the first stage, followed by Port Fairy to Portland and then the third stage would be Terang to Warrnambool.
"Heading west from Colac, the Stony Rises geography makes it really difficult to duplicate the highway there."
Mr Neoh said there was a need for an overall strategy.
Labor candidate Kylie Gaston said more money was needed for Princes Highway maintenance and roads were the No. 1 priority for voters.
She said the state of south-west roads needed to be urgently addressed.
"In the last six months I have door knocked from Nelson to Panmure and I have heard loudly and clearly people really really concerned about the state of our roads, particularly in terms of safety," she said.
"Absolutely we need better road services from Colac to the South Australia border, among other roads.
“In the last four years the state Labor government has invested $40 million in the Princes Highway. It needs a lot more investment, but that is more than the previous four years."
An evidence backed plan is needed before funding can be committed to funding the duplication of the Princes Highway west of Colac, according to sitting member and Liberal candidate Roma Britnell.
She said she had only been approached by one person in the past three years about the expansion of the highway.
"No study has ever been done," Mrs Britnell said.
"It's a bit hard in those circumstances to commit to funding."
Mrs Britnell said the federal coalition government had committed $5 million for a Princes Highway corridor strategy between Sydney and Port Augusta.
"At this stage we do not have an understanding of what needs to be done and I have not had any advocacy about this issue," she said.
"The Great South Coast Group needs to understand what is the best approach and they have not said exactly what they want.
"At this point a study would be the best approach and I haven't even been asked for money to do that study.”
Country Party candidate and former Moyne shire Mayor, Jim Doukas, said a roundtable discussion with interested groups, including the transport industry, is the way to prioritise road funding projects in the south-west, according to a state election candidate.
He also advocated for a truck bypass around Warrnambool.
A two plus one road system would be great value for money in expanding the Princes Highway, according to independent candidate Dr Michael McCluskey who said all road funding decisions needed to be done on a cost-benefit basis.
"If we implement the two plus one rather than duplication, the money saved could be spent on better repair and construction of all other country roads leading to a better spend for our dollar as opposed to the more expensive duplication option," he said.
Dr McCluskey said improving the road system was crucial.
"We need to look at all the roads not just duplication of the Princes Highway west of Colac to the South Australian border," he said.
"We also need to be mindful that every dollar spent is not available for something else.
"Two plus one system, where the two lanes alternate, is great where it is used in New Zealand and Sweden. Former Corangamite shire Mayor Chris O'Connor was a big advocate for it," he said.
The DLP candidate Joseph Purtill backed calls for the duplication of the Princes Highway.
"Well, it needs to be done, that's for sure," he said.
Independent candidate James Purcell did not provide a comment.
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