As the Australian election comes closer, SEATS is pleased to see that commitments are being made for several of the priority transport infrastructure projects within south eastern Australia.

In Victoria’s Gippsland upgrades have been promised for works around Cranbourne, at Lakes Entrance east and between Pakenham and Beaconsfield.

Financial assistance to undertake master planning of Baw Baw Shire to address transport movement for freight vehicles now passing through residential and commercial roads not suited to the trucks as the industry moves towards the longer more productive vehicles.

The Victorian Government is now working on pilot projects under the Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program to address areas of poor mobile along major stretches of state highways especially the Princes Highway and the Monaro Highway. SEATS raised concern about this lack of connectivity for the “COMMUNITY in TRANSIT” be they truck drivers, holiday travellers or commuters moving between NSW and Vic. As a Work Health and Safety issue, employers had expressed concern that connectivity was a vital part of fatigue management for drivers sitting in cabs on these twisting highways through rugged terrain.

Similarly the NSW government is looking at this Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program and SEATS also sees the Princes and Monaro highways as being suitable candidates.

Announcements have been also made about the Barton Highway, a project that is required as freight and residential commuters continually move between the ACT and the Hume Highway at Yass on a single lane highway.

As the election campaign moves into its third week, more announcements are expected. Maybe:

• Traralgon bypass alignment planning
• Additional funding for the Sale Alternate Truck route
• Investigations into a substantial upgrade to an Illawarra Escarpment crossing within NSW for HML vehicles
• A further injection of funds into Heavy Vehicle Rest Areas on all State highways
• A specialised Bridge Strengthening financial program for bridge strengthening and widening on major freight routes
• Greater investment on the NSW South Coast Rail Line to have greater sharing of freight and passenger trains through greater passing opportunities in the single track sections
• Identification of a NSW State funding source to match the federal commitments for airport runway enhancement works.

SEATS continues to advocate for improvements to transport infrastructure and the delivery of freight productivity gains.