$1.35 MILLION LINK TO EASE WARRAGUL HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC
A new bridge and associated roadworks linking two industrial estates will ease heavy vehicle traffic in Warragul’s residential and retail areas and open up more industrial land to attract new business and jobs to the town.
(Media-Newswire.com) - A new bridge and associated roadworks linking two industrial estates will ease heavy vehicle traffic in Warragul’s residential and retail areas and open up more industrial land to attract new business and jobs to the town.
In Gippsland to brief key community stakeholders on the $631 million Ready for Tomorrow: A Blueprint for Regional and Rural Victoria, Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan said the Brumby Labor Government would contribute $675,000 from the Regional Infrastructure Development Fund towards the $1.35 million Hazel Drive Industrial Estates Transport Linkages project.
“This project will provide direct and safe access from one of Warragul’s key industrial areas to Gippsland’s major transport corridor by avoiding residential and retail areas and dangerous and difficult-to-manoeuvre intersections,” Ms Allan said.
Works will include:
• Widening and strengthening Albert and Copelands Roads from 5.5 metres to 7.5 metres to be able to accommodate B-doubles; • Upgrading the intersection of Hazel Drive and Queen Street; and • Constructing Hazel Creek Bridge across the creek and wetlands.
Ms Allan said the bridge and associated roads would drive heavy vehicle traffic to arterial roads via a new route that would open up an additional 57 industrial blocks capable of creating over new jobs once occupied.
“The improved access to and from the estates will allow more land to be used, encouraging new businesses to invest in Warragul and create more jobs,” she said.
“This will help make Warragul residents more prosperous as it will provide more opportunities for people to live and work in the town.”
Ms Allan said the Brumby Labor Government’s Regional Infrastructure Development Fund had provided more than $590 million more than 381 projects worth more than $1.5 billion in regional and rural Victoria.
“Last week the Premier and I announced a $260 million boost to the fund – the single biggest increase in its history,” she said.
“This will ensure that projects that matter to their communities, such as the Hazel Drive bridge, are able to happen.
“The boost to the fund is part of our $631 million Ready for Tomorrow: A Blueprint for Regional and Rural Victoria package also announced last week.
“Over the last decade we’ve put the heart back into regional and rural Victoria.
“Ready for Tomorrow is about building on that work and driving a new era of opportunity and prosperity in regional Victoria.”
Ready for Tomorrow commits $631 million across five key strategies: • $110.1 million for Investing in Skills and Young People with a new tertiary education package to deliver more opportunities in tertiary education for young people and to make it more attractive for them to stay in or return to the regions. It includes new targets to increase enrolments and graduates, new infrastructure support to encourage investment in student accommodation and for TAFE and university facilities, leadership and cadetship programs, a new youth strategy and support to develop new regional leaders; • Backing Jobs and Industry with $99.4 million towards a new action plan to create thousands of new jobs, boost regional industries and help small business. It outlines a commitment to grow government jobs in the state’s regions, drive up skills, training and exports, support farmers, the food and beverage industry and tourism growth; • $203.9 million for Building Infrastructure, Connecting Communities to provide regional Victorians with world-class infrastructure in water, cleaner energy, transport and industry development, improvements to broadband services, local roads, timber roads, bridges, bus service expansion as well as more affordable housing; • $158.4 million for Supporting the Regional and Rural Way of Life with funding for sports clubs, cultural activities and community. It includes infrastructure and amenities support for the well-being of older people in small communities, promoting regional Victoria as a great place to live and work, a boost to programs to help landholders manage vegetation with funding available for building performing arts centres, galleries and other civic amenities; and • Planning Better Regions – A New Partnership backed by $58.9 million to establish a new approach to regional planning and development including significant funding to support the planning and design of regional cities and towns, support for the development of new growth areas in regional cities, support for future planning in coastal areas and local government. It also includes grants to local councils for future planning work and expertise within local councils, fast-tracking projects to help local communities adapt to climate change and support for smaller councils.
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