The Rutherglen heavy vehicle bypass has been a contentious issue spanning over five decades, with local residents and Indigo Shire Council advocating for its implementation to enhance safety and amenity in the region.
The Federal Government’s decision to withdraw funding has left the fate of the project hanging in the balance.
Unfortunately, the Rutherglen alternative route is among the casualties in regional Victoria, alongside the cancellation of a Hume Freeway intersection upgrade in West Wodonga.
Despite a $2 million commitment from the federal government in 2017, combined with $2 million from Victoria, no visible progress has been made on the Rutherglen heavy vehicle alternative route, leaving the community questioning the effectiveness of the allocated funds and the government’s commitment to addressing their concerns.
Cr Roberta Horne, who has been at the forefront of the community campaign to get trucks out of the main street, said she was “bitterly disappointed but not surprised”, criticising the spending on the Rutherglen Origin Destination study which has never been released.
“The big question is, do we have to wait for a disaster, like the one near Daylesford recently, before they decide it’s important?” she said.
“The Re Route Rutherglen campaign has been a community-led initiative developed to ease the traffic in Main Street by suggesting the creation of a Heavy Vehicle Alternate route in the hope of avoiding tragedy while waiting for a bypass to be built.
“We knew it take 30 years to build a bypass, and the campaign was about ensuring the safety of the community in the mean time. This has never been about politics- it has always been about saftey.
“Not only did the community identify a possible solution, but they also worked hard to draw the attention of the media which in turn helped attract an election promise of $4 million of state and federal funding. To have that money ripped away is just unbelievable .”
Upon hearing the news, Indigo Shire Mayor Sophie Price expressed disappointment but remained determined to see improvements in the area.
“We’ll work closely with Regional Roads Victoria as they re-scope the project for Main St to ensure that safety and amenity improvements are made with the remaining state government funding,” she said.
“We’ll also be doing everything we can to continue our advocacy efforts to keep this issue a priority.”
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King released the review of the nation’s infrastructure pipeline, amounting to $120 billion over 10 years. In regional Victoria, the Rutherglen alternative route is just one of 12 projects to be cancelled, raising concerns about the impact on local communities.
Member for Benambra Bill Tilley expressed frustration, likening the situation to a “Utopia episode on steroids” and criticising the Victorian Government for their indecision on the matter.
“This goes back to 2017, and since then we’ve had various bypass proposals, including one through the backstreets of Rutherglen that was bloody ridiculous,” he said.
“We’ve had traffic studies that would have you believe that most of the truck traffic through Rutherglen was destined for Rutherglen – that’s BS.
“And then the most recent proposal that cut parking and pushed heavy vehicles closer to pedestrians.
“But like McKoy St, a gutless Victorian Government couldn’t make a call and had to rely on their federal patsies to save them from their own regional roads department.”
Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie labelled the decision a “kick in the guts” for the community and accused the Albanese Government of lacking vision for rural Victoria.
“This shows Labor has no understanding of our community,” she said.
“I would be happy to invite the minister to visit our community and talk to local residents about why this project is needed.”
“This is a setback not just for business and industry productivity but also for the progress of the town.
“Roads in and around Rutherglen are in a dire state, and it beggars’ belief that the Albanese Government can say these essential upgrades ‘do not demonstrate merit.’”
Long-term resident and winery industry participant Prue Campbell, highlighting the impact on tourism in the area, said business owners and the local council have been trying to develop the area as a tourism village.
“As a destination, we have people travelling for the great wineries and the silo art, and the roads are too narrow to accommodate heavy vehicles and tourists, some people have even had their car doors taken off,” she said.
