Wednesday, 31 May 2023

Northern Victoria Region

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:53): (214) My question is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, and it concerns funding for the Watson Street and Hume Freeway diamond interchange in Wallan. The diamond interchange has been a priority project for the Mitchell Shire Council for many years, and when I raised the issue in 2019 the then minister stated:

The Department of Transport … is currently progressing planning approvals that will enable this project to be considered for construction funding.

The Watson Street interchange upgrade is briefly mentioned in the 2023–24 state budget but without any mention of the amount of funding allocated or when the project will be completed. Will the minister provide clarity by providing me with the details of how much funding was allocated in the budget for the Watson Street–Hume Freeway interchange upgrade, the breakdown of that funding over the forward estimates and the estimated time line for completion of this important project?