Community urged to join the campaign to Fix Baw Baw’s Road Network

In the lead up to the 2023 state budget, Baw Baw Shire Council has launched a community advocacy campaign calling for state government action and investment to plan a better road network for Drouin and Warragul. 

‘Fix our Road Network’  is an online platform that makes it easy for residents and road users to tell government ministers and MPs why they think arterial road planning is urgently needed in Baw Baw Shire’s largest towns. 

While councils are responsible for local road infrastructure and maintenance, state governments are responsible for building and managing freeways and arterial roads (e.g., Princes Highway, Queen Street, Brandy Creek Road, Main South Road, and Longwarry Drouin Road).  

With Baw Baw’s population outpacing most Victorian municipalities, the Shire’s 100-year-old arterial network is out-of-date and not designed to accommodate today’s volume of traffic. Factor in increasing residential construction, continuing population influx, growing demand for local agriculture and resources and a new West Gippsland Hospital on the way, and it is easy to see that Baw Baw’s already inadequate road network is facing unsustainable pressure. 

That’s why Baw Baw Shire Council continues to advocate to the Victorian Government to allocate $3 million to Regional Roads Victoria to plan a fit-for-purpose, future ready, arterial network.  

The recommended road upgrades would include building three new town alternate heavy vehicle routes to remove heavy agricultural and industrial vehicles from major town centres, the duplication of Princes Way between Drouin and Warragul and works to make several major intersections safer and more efficient. 

Arterial Road Network Planning is a top-level advocacy priority for Baw Baw Shire Council in 2023.  

To learn more about road planning and Council’s broader advocacy priorities visit www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/AdvocacyPriorities or email [email protected].  

Quotes attributable to Mayor Annemarie McCabe 

“We know traffic in Warragul and Drouin is a concern for our community and our businesses. Baw Baw Shire’s 100-year-old network of State-managed arterial roads is past its use-by date. It just isn't designed to cope with our region's rapid growth.” 

“We have a plan to do something about it and we want your help to let the state government know it’s time for action and investment.”  

“With more than 20,000 new homes expected to be built in the coming years we urgently need the Victorian Government to plan and upgrade our roads to accommodate our growing population.  We need a ground swell of local voices to make sure the state government pays attention and builds the road network Baw Baw Shire needs and deserves.” 

“The ‘Fix our Road Network’ advocacy campaign is about joining forces as a community to push for vital planning and expenditure to ensure our roads are fit for the future.” 

“We’ve made writing to your local MPs and ministers easy. Just go to the campaign page, use the suggested letter template provided to tell the government why we need investment in our road network and hit send!”