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Omeo Highway meeting positive: IngramThe Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has welcomed the outcomes from the positive meeting to discuss strategies to finish unsealed sections of the Omeo Highway and make the road safer. By Craig Ingram - 23rd June 2006 - Back to News "The meeting followed a significant joint effort by the local community, myself and Tony Plowman (the Liberal MP for the seat of Benambra) over the past six years to convince government of the importance of this road to the local community and to have the remaining sections sealed," Mr Ingram said.
"The tourism benefits for completing the road were discussed at length, opening up a thoroughfare from the Gippsland Lakes and the coast through to the Murray region.
"The Omeo Highway is the shortest, most direct and lowest altitude route north-south, with the potential to open our region up and provide significant economic benefit."
Other issues that were raised at the meeting included:
· Social and economic isolation of the local community due to the current road condition;
· VicRoads’ duty of care and the current appalling condition of the unsealed sections;
· Hire cares unable to travel on gravel roads;
· Impact of sedimentation and dust on the Mitta Mitta River;
· Timber royalties as a source of road funds;
· The large number of tyres damaged due to the rock surface on the unsealed sections.
"The benefits from the completion and upgrade of the road are clearly comparable to the Great Alpine Road where a significant increase in traffic and economic activity occurred," Mr Ingram said.
"Previous studies on the road show a real catch 22, where the current funding models are based on traffic volumes, accident rates compared against cost. Clearly, the current road condition on the Omeo Highway is restricting traffic volumes.
"I look forward to working with the new group, my parliamentary colleague, Tony Plowman, and the Towong and East Gippsland shires in the lead up to the state election in an attempt to get a commitment from both of the major parties in Victoria to invest in much needed tourism road infrastructure like the completion of the Omeo Highway," Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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