The Princess and Monaro Highways between Wollongong in New South Wales and Dandenong in Victoria were the focus when East Gippsland Shire Council hosted a two day South East Australian Transport Strategy (SEATS) meeting last month. The forum supported a call from Bega Valley Shire Council for the replacement of the Pambula Bridge in Merimbula as a critical improvement to this vital traffic link.
The forum will support the request for Federal funding under the Roads to Recovery program. The two day forum included speeches from the Federal Member for Gippsland, Peter McGauran, and, RACV Chief Engineer Traffic and Roads, Peter Daly.
SEATS comprises some 20 Councils, from Wollongong in New South Wales to the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
East Gippsland Mayor, Councillor Harvey Bates, said the forum was an ideal opportunity to showcase the East Gippsland region to a large group of Council representatives from south east Australia. “Several issues were discussed, and high on the list was the recent announcement of the Federal Government’s extension of Roads to Recovery and Auslink programs,” he said.
Other items on the agenda included heavy vehicle regulations and B-doubles, the Princes Highway between Orbost and Eden, the Pakenham bypass, South Gippsland study, Queanbeyan freight bypass, Monaro Highway and the Princes Highway between Sale and Traralgon.
