A PRINCES Highway west advocate is "hopeful" for an upcoming road announcement despite the federal budget papers not specifically listing new funding for the region's highway stretch.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Princes Highway West Action Alliance spokesman Stephen Lucas said he anticipated there would be an announcement this week regarding road funding for the region.
"I am hopeful that will indicate some action happening on Princes Highway West," Mr Lucas said.
Mr Lucas said while he could not say where the announcement would target, he was also hopeful it would involve the $60 million Wannon MP Dan Tehan announced for the highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy last year.
"I am hopeful there will be an agreement between the state and federal government in the near future," Mr Lucas said.
"Regional Roads Victoria has told me they are ready to go once the funding is supplied, it's now a matter about getting an agreement between the feds and the state."
Mr Tehan told The Standard following the budget he would "have more to say on road funding at the end of the week".
The budget includes a $2 billion investment in small scale road safety projects nationally over two years but Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said projects must be "shovel ready" and the federal government would offer it to the states on a "use it or lose it basis".
Mr Tehan said he wanted the region to get a "fair share" of that funding but did not elaborate further on where those projects could be.
The budget papers do not directly reference new funding for the Princes Highway west in 2020-21, only listing in Victoria $70.6 million for the Princes Highway East.
Meanwhile, councils in Wannon will collectively receive about $35 million for roads, including more than $16 million through a Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and $17.7 million under the Roads to Recovery Program.
"This investment, together with the new national Road Safety Program will support around 10,000 jobs over the life of the projects," Mr Tehan said. "I look forward to locals in Wannon benefiting from the local procurement this investment brings."
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.