Northern Victoria Region
Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:51): (1822) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Why has the government delayed the start of construction for the Gunns Gully Road and Hume Freeway interchange, and when will work begin? Gunns Gully Road is a planned six-lane arterial road that will run west to east from the Hume Freeway to eventually join Merriang Road. This road is vitally important for my constituents. It will take traffic off the chronically congested Donnybrook Road and will provide essential alternative entry and exit points to the housing estates along Donnybrook Road. The minister said earlier this year that the Department of Transport and Planning was finalising agreements with a housing developer to deliver the Gunns Gully Road and Hume Freeway interchange and that construction works were expected to commence by mid-2025. Spring is here, mid-2025 has passed, but the work has not commenced. This is another Labor planning failure that makes the serious traffic problems in the northern growth suburbs even worse. The minister must explain the reason for the delay and confirm when construction will begin.