The road to a better future for Baw Baw

The road to a better future for Baw Baw

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We know traffic in Warragul and Drouin is a concern for our community and our businesses. The 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 growth.

We have a plan to do something about it and we want your help.

Council is advocating to the State Government to allocate $3 million of funding to design a modern, fit-for purpose arterial road network that can handle the amount of traffic we're seeing now and will see in the future.

 

The issue

Over the past decade, the ...

We know traffic in Warragul and Drouin is a concern for our community and our businesses. The 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 growth.

We have a plan to do something about it and we want your help.

Council is advocating to the State Government to allocate $3 million of funding to design a modern, fit-for purpose arterial road network that can handle the amount of traffic we're seeing now and will see in the future.

 

The issue

Over the past decade, the residents and businesses in Drouin and Warragul have been urging Council to address issues of traffic and congestion driven by extraordinary residential growth.

  • In the next few years almost 20,000 new homes will be constructed meaning there will be even more people using our roads.

  • Our network is not designed for the projected volume of local residential or industrial traffic. 

  • The growing demand for Gippsland’s agricultural products and resources  combined with inefficient freight routes is contributing to road congestion and a disproportionate number of heavy vehicles in town centres.  

  • The state Government’s 2022 election commitment to build the new West Gippsland Hospital will place increasing pressure on the network and has escalated the need for the duplication of Princes Way between Warragul and Drouin.

  • Road planning is essential to safeguard key transport routes and mitigate the impact of road closures in the event of natural disaster.
  • Economic modelling indicates arterial congestion is a major factor hindering commercial growth in our major towns.

Baw Baw Shire Council’s Responsibilities • Building and maintaining local roads, (but not arterial roads and freeways) • Local bike and pedestrian networks State Government Responsibilities • Building and managing freeways and arterial roads (e.g. Princes Highway, Queen Street, Brandy Creek Road, Main South Road, Longwarry Drouin Road ) • Building and maintaining public transport networksRoad safety Federal Government Responsibilities • Funding for national highway network • City shaping transport projects • Program funding for local government transport projects and road safety

The solution

A new arterial network that's better for business and the community.

Council is actively advocating to the State Government to allocate $3 million of funding to undertake the transport network planning needed to address the problem with new and fit-for-purpose arterial transport routes in and around Drouin and Warragul.

Concept design of a new arterial road network for Baw Baw

  1. Drouin (Western) Bypass

  2. Duplication of Princes Way (between Warragul and Drouin)

  3. Improved intersections - Princes Way & Wellwood Road, Drouin Warragul Off Ramps; Howitt Street and Burke Street Intersections

  4. Drouin (Eastern) Bypass

  5. Buln Buln Road Interchange Dollarburn Road Extension (Warragul Bypass) 

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The issue

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Warragul and Drouin's arterial road network cannot cope with the current congestion and growth.

Over the past decade, the residents and businesses in Drouin and Warragul have been urging Council to address issues of traffic and congestion driven by extraordinary residential growth.

  • In the next few years almost 20,000 new homes will be constructed meaning there will be even more people using our roads.

  • Our network is not designed for the projected volume of local residential or industrial traffic. 

  • The growing demand for Gippsland’s agricultural products and resources  combined with inefficient freight routes is contributing to road congestion and a disproportionate number of heavy vehicles in town centres.  

  • The state Government’s 2022 election commitment to build the new West Gippsland Hospital will place increasing pressure on the network and has escalated the need for the duplication of Princes Way between Warragul and Drouin.

  • Road planning is essential to safeguard key transport routes and mitigate the impact of road closures in the event of natural disaster.
  • Economic modelling indicates arterial congestion is a major factor hindering commercial growth in our major towns.

 

·       In the next few years almost 20,000 new homes will be constructed meaning there will be even more people using our roads

·       Our network is not designed for the projected volume of local residential or industrial traffic 

·       Gippsland and Baw Baw Shire provide 22% of dairy product in Australia

·       Baw Baw contributes 10% of Victoria’s vegetable supply per annum –

·       Arterial congestion is hindering commercial and industrial growth