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Darren Chester tables petition signed by 1300 Gippslanders urging governments to progress Traralgon bypassDarren Chester has tabled a petition urging federal and Victorian governments to progress the long-delayed Traralgon bypass, backed by over 1300 Gippslanders, calling for funding, design completion and construction. By news@gippsland - 6th June 2026 - Back to News Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has formally tabled a petition in Federal Parliament calling on the House of Representatives and Victorian government to work together to progress the long-awaited Traralgon bypass. Signed by more than 1300 Gippslanders, the petition demands for funding to finalise the design, approvals and costings for the proposed Princes Highway bypass, with the aim to commence construction and deliver the project by 2030. 
Traralgon bypass would reduce congestion, improve safety, boost productivity and tourism, create jobs, and support urgent planning and construction by 2030 Bypass progress stalledMr Chester said the strong community response demonstrated the growing frustration with decades of inaction. "Despite being discussed for more than 40 years, plans to build a bypass around Traralgon have stalled because of a lack of action by Labor governments at both the state and federal levels. At the 2025 Federal Election, the Coalition committed $5 million to work with the Victorian government to finalise the design, approvals and costs for the bypass." "Without a final design, we can’t move to detailed costings, a business case or construction. Unfortunately, the Labor Party has shown little interest in progressing a project that would deliver significant social, economic and environmental benefits for Gippsland," Mr Chester told Parliament. Bypass benefits highlightMr Chester said the bypass remains one of the region’s most important transport infrastructure priorities and has strong support from councils and communities across Gippsland. "Providing a Traralgon bypass would reduce congestion, improve safety and productivity, increase liveability for locals and boost the visitor economy. It would also create much-needed jobs during the construction phase and future-proof one of Victoria’s most important freight routes." Mr Chester said the project could also provide broader community benefits through improved flood mitigation. "A study undertaken by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority identified that a retarding basin in the proposed bypass corridor could form an important part of efforts to reduce flooding from Traralgon Creek," he said. Bypass planning stallsThe Latrobe Planning Scheme formalised a route for a proposed Traralgon bypass in 2009 and Regional Roads Victoria undertook a planning study for the bypass on behalf of the Victorian government in 2017 and 2018. Mr Chester said despite years of studies and community consultation, little progress had been made. "According to Transport Victoria, extensive transport modelling has been completed, stakeholders have been consulted, and more than 88,000 people have been engaged throughout the planning process." "But despite all that work, no final report has ever been released. Instead, we continue to hear excuses and bureaucratic platitudes about why the project can’t proceed. I’ve spoken directly with the operators of the Loy Yang mine, and the suggestion that uncertainty around mining operations is preventing further progress is complete and utter bureaucratic bulldust," he said. Traralgon traffic pressureMr Chester said the bypass would become increasingly important as freight volumes continue to grow through the Latrobe Valley. "There are now 15 intersections involving roundabouts and traffic lights between the eastern and western sides of Traralgon, and it can take 15 to 20 minutes, or much longer during peak periods, to travel through town." "As freight volumes increase, Traralgon is becoming a significant bottleneck on the Princes Highway, affecting productivity, road safety and the amenity of the town itself. It is time for all levels of government to stop making excuses and start working together to deliver a final design and business case for this critical project. The time for action is now," he said. Pictures from Darren Chester Facebook page.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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