The Princes Highway West Action Alliance has recruited a senior Victorian transport leader as the new spokesperson for the group.
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Stephen Lucas, currently the chairman of Warrnambool Bus Lines and associated companies, is a third-generation transport business owner and is seen as having had a long and respected career within the transport industry.
He said he was taking on the spokesperson role with the alliance with a determination to gain Victorian government support for long overdue upgrades to the Princes Highway west.
The PHWAA has identified three priority upgrade projects including the section of the highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, which was the focus of the guaranteed $60 million in federal funding.
Other key upgrade priorities are an overtaking opportunity in Stony Rises and the notorious Blue Church intersection, west of Colac.
"The Princes Highway west is vital as an enabler for both our visitor economy and our critical supply chains. There is no doubt that industry growth is being hampered by this lack of long-term vision and a commitment of state funding for this major connector," he said.
Mr Lucas said south-west Victoria was the largest milk production area, directly employing almost 7500 people and supplying almost a third of Australia's milk supply and almost a third of Australia's dairy exports.
"The Princes Highway west is a critical link in getting that product to market and we've previously identified a positive cost benefit ratio of 2.45 over a 10-year period if we can get our road network up to scratch."
Mr Lucas is the leader of the transport and infrastructure theme for the Great South Coast Regional Partnership, chair of the Warrnambool Regional Airport Reference Group and chair of Horizon 21, a not-for-profit investigating alternate mobility solutions for regional areas.
He is also a life member and past president of the Bus Association Victoria, the inaugural president of the Bus Industry Confederation and is currently serving on the confederation's executive committee.
Mr Lucas has also long backed upgrades to the Warrnambool airport.
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