Victorian council presses for funds for a bypass to reduce truck traffic on local roads
By Ruza Zivkusic | July 21, 2011
A regional council is calling on the Victorian Government to help reduce truck traffic on its local roads.
Moyne Shire Council Mayor Jim Doukas believes a plan is needed to replace the long-awaited Princes Highway bypass at Port Fairy, which Ports Minister and South West Coast MP Denis Napthine says is unlikely to go ahead.
A cost-effective route is yet to be found for a truck bypass around the town.
Doukas says up to 40 extra trucks travel through the town each day due to the construction of wind farms.
“We don’t have the money to fix these roads and VicRoads says they don’t either,” Doukas says.
“The locals are using those roads every day all year around – before, during and after the wind farms are built.
“It’s time to sit down, get out the map and concentrate on a transport strategy for large trucks as well as vehicles. The roads should be built and finished before any major works begin on the wind farms.”
Doukas says the council voted on an alternative route in 2007 from north of Rosebrook to the Moyne River, which would avoid eight highway bends where trucks have tripped over.