Rob Mitchell, MHR for McEwen

Twelve months ago, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised $100 million for Victorian roads, with $50 million to fix the Hume Freeway south of Wallan and Beveridge.

According to McEwen MHR, Rob Mitchell, the money never arrived.

In Canberra this week, Mr Mitchell has applied the blowtorch to the Federal Government, writing to Infrastructure Minister (Deputy Prime Minister) Michael McCormack, and meeting with him.

Mr Mitchell, whose McEwen electorate office is based in Wallan, wrote to Mr McCormack on Tuesday (Feb. 25): “As you would be ware, $50 million of federal funding was announced in 2019 for both the Hume and Calder freeways.

“This promise was announced by the Prime Minister a year ago, yet communities in my electorate are still desperately waiting for it to be honoured,” Mr Mitchell said.

“On the Hume Freeway, $50 million was promised to ease traffic between Lithgow St, Beveridge, and the M80 Ring Road.

“i remain seriously concerned about the latter proposal which is clearly too limited in scope and the funding won’t be sufficient to complete the projects.

“Congestion is already at alarming levels all the way to Wallan – five kilometres past your notional Lithgow St end point.

“It must be noted that Wallan is the last suburb in Melbourne and included in the Urban Growth Boundary.

“So why doesn’t funding allow for the extra lane finish where the urban growth boundary does?

“i have already outlined on numerous occasions the need for a diamond interchange on the Hume Frewway at Wallan,” Mr Mitchell said.

“This is already desperately needed, particularly as traffic regularly banks up on the freeway for north-bound vehicles exiting the Hume.

“This causes an extreme risk for all motorists using this section of the freeway. With traffic backed up on to the freeway at times as cars wait to exit, motorists can be stuck waiting while cars and trucks pass by at 11q0-kmh, it is only a matter of time for a serious accident to occur.

“As you are no doubt well aware, an Infrastructure Australia 2019 report identified the Hume Freeway as the most congested corridor in Victoria by 2031.

“Moreover, the 18km M31 Hume Freeway from Melbourne’s northern fringe to the M80 Ring Road will be second most congested road nationwide. And as IA states, by 2031 these routes will be even more overcrowded than they are already.

“By 2031, peak users of these corridors can expect to spend up to 60 per cent of their travel time stuck in traffic, up from 40 per cent.

“IA has also noted that congestion caused by rapid population growth in Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs threatens to be a major drag on Victoria’s economic productivity.

“On behalf of constituents across my electorate, I urge you to take urgent action to ensure your funding commitments are honoured as quicfkly as possible,” Mr Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell requested that MrMcCormack provide detailed plans of the road project, including dates of when the projects are to begin, the scope and extent of the improvements, and their estimated completion date.

On Monday (Feb. 24), the Prime Minister spoke in Question Time regarding the Federal Government’s Urban Congestion Fund and money allocated for projects in the McEwen electorate.

Mr Morrison spoke of “in the electorates of Calwell and McEwen, $70 million for northern lines commuter car parking; in the electorates of Gorton and McEwen, $50 million for upgrades to the Calder Freeway and the M80 Ring Road; $50 million for upgrades to the Hume Freeway and M80 Ring Road, also in McEwen”.