Brimbank Council welcomes the Federal Government’s election commitment of $300 million to ‘fix the Calder’. The promised funding injection will build a new and urgently needed diamond interchange at Calder Park Drive, to improve road safety, reduce congestion and provide better access.
“The Federal Government’s promise to invest $300 million into building a new, and safer interchange at Calder Park Drive is welcome news for everyone who uses the Calder Freeway – it is something Brimbank Council has been advocating for since we launched the ‘Fix the Calder’ campaign in 2021,” said Brimbank Mayor Cr Thuy Dang.
The Calder Freeway is one of Australia’s most dangerous roads. Brimbank has been calling for the Calder Freeway to be upgraded since 2021 with its launch of the ‘Fix the Calder’ campaign. Council has worked closely with the Calder Action Group and other community groups to advocate for more improvements since then.
Construction of a diamond interchange at Calder Park Drive was a key improvement priority in the campaign, which was endorsed by LeadWest and the Calder Highway Improvement Committee (CHIC) which constitutes the nine Victorian Councils along the Calder Highway.
Despite the business case for the interchange having been completed by the State Government in 2022, the project was put on hold following the Federal Government’s review of the nation’s infrastructure pipeline in 2023.
In response to the delay, Brimbank Council relaunched the ‘Fix the Calder’ campaign in 2024, working again with the Calder Action Group and raising the matter in Canberra with key decision makers on multiple occasions, including with the Hon Catherine King MP, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
Today’s announcement is a win for our community, commuters and everyone who uses the Calder Freeway.
“I would like to acknowledge our campaign partners, including the Calder Action Group, LeadWest and the Calder Highway Improvement Committee as well as my fellow Councillors for their advocacy on this important safety priority for community. Special thanks must go to Cr Ranka Rasic for her staunch commitment to lead the campaign during her terms as Brimbank Mayor in 2021 and 2024,” said Brimbank Mayor Cr Thuy Dang.
Brimbank Council now calls on the Federal Opposition to follow suit to ensure this critical work is completed under the next term of government.
“We now call on the Federal Opposition to match this commitment like-for-like to ensure this life-saving work takes place, regardless of the Federal Election result in May,” said Mayor Cr Dang.
