"Just Get On With It” is a common response to MRPV’s delay on the upgrade the Western Highway…and we agree. BUT the two routes, MRPV’s Option 1 and the alternative Northern Option are vastly different routes. 

Getting on with the most environmentally and culturally appropriate route is our goal.

Option 1 involves enormous earthworks cutting through a hill, filling a valley, raising the road surface, on/ off ramps, two new bridges bridge and 40 hectares of destruction of significant Djabwurrung cultural lands.

The Northern Option follows the existing highway, using the cleared power easement, the saving of 90 very old trees, cheaper, and has a fraction of the impact on Djabwurrung land, avoiding all culturally significant sites.

If you want to ‘Just Get On With It” …be loud in your support of the Northern Option. It’s a quicker build, and

Daniel Andrews can protect the Djabwurrung lands and have the Highway upgrade without delay by approving the Northern Option

Refresh yourself on the benefits of the Northern Option at www.fixfreewayfiasco.org 

Thank you to those who turned up at Federation Square to meet us … we had a lively gathering. It was so good to get some positive feedback and support.

Thank you to each and every one of you who wrote a submission to the Federal Minister for Environment, the Hon. Sussan Ley MP. It is important that a range of opinions are presented to the Minister to inform her decision on protecting the land for the Djab Wurrung people. We appreciate the time, thought and effort that goes into writing submissions and so value your contributions. 

KORS has also made a submission to the Federal Minister for Environment supporting protection of the Djab Wurrung land.

Thank you to those who wrote to the Premier Daniel Andrews and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Michael McCormack in support of an independent comparative analysis of the two routes. We must keep the pressure up.

We have applied to revoke the approval given to VicRoads, now Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV), under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, for the project to destroy Matters of National Environmental Significance, which are things the Act protects. Actually, it’s more than a year since our lawyer applied to Department of Energy and Environment for this and we are actively following up. 

With fires destroying 210,000 hectares of habitat for endangered species in the East of the state, it is no time to be willfully destroying important protective habitat for a highway. 

Works on the agreed 3.85 km section of highway common to both Option 1 and the Northern Option are continuing. The diligence and dedication of the Tree protectors who spotted a looming tree felling machine, has stalled the felling of a very old, mossy, hollow tree right on the No Go Zone line. It should be automatic to avoid it and it appears entirely feasible to do so, with metres of width to spare in the acquired strip. 

A member of the public has reported to the Federal Department of Energy and Environment an apparent breach of a No Go Zone shown in the 2014 Threatened Species Management Plan for Section 2B, Buangor to Ararat.  First we were surprised when we were directed by DELWP to MRPV as the compliance officers for their own project. And we are now appalled that the Department’s response to this report about an apparent breach is … secret! WHAT?!!

“The Department does not release information on compliance and enforcement activities such as investigations to the public while they are underway, unless it is absolutely necessary or required by the investigative process.  In particular, no disclosure will be made that may prejudice an investigation, or any past or future actions of the Department.  Even after completion, the details of investigative activities normally remain confidential.’ This is the automated reply you get to a report of an apparent breach. 

This is computers keeping us at bay!

 In the past weeks we have met with 

Dr. Tim Read MP, Greens party State Member for Brunswick 
Fiona Patten MP, Reason Party Member of the Legislative Council, Northern Metropolitan Region
Bev McArthur MP, Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Council, Western Victoria Region 
Clifford Hayes MP, Sustainable Australia member of the Victorian Legislative council, Southern Metropolitan Region 
Staff of Andy Meddick MP, Animal Justice Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Western Victoria Region.
Staff of Ellen Sandell MP, Greens Party State Member for Melbourne, spokesperson for Environment.
We have received positive feedback on our campaign for the Northern Option and some terrific ideas to follow up on. 

We are still trying to get constructive responses from:

Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria
Richard Wynne, Minister for Planning, Victoria
Jacinta Allen, Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Victoria
David Davis, Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Victoria
Dan Tehan, Liberal member for the Federal electorate of Wannon, where the road is planned. 
Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure.  

The Supreme Court case, challenging the validity of the 2012 EES on which MRPV’s Option 1 is based, is set down for 18 March. The case has been much delayed by, amongst other things, the claim by the defendants that it will need a 5-7day slot in the crowded Court schedule. This David-and-Goliath struggle is getting up there in the ranks of long running campaigns and the case’s existence is in very large part because of meticulous, intensive and generous help of one lawyer.

This challenge is a very expensive exercise, both financially and emotionally. So we are planning a raffle to help cover some of the court costs. 

Donations are always welcome on our GoFundMe site  

 gofundme.com/f/Don039t-route-around-Duplicate-the-highway