Federal funds bypass chance

KOOWEERUP Bypass campaigners will today (Wednesday) discover whether the long-awaited project will receive funds from the Federal Government.
They were last week shunned in the State Budget, but are hopeful the Federal Government won’t forget them.
The Federal Government is set to invest more than $25 billion in key road, rail and port projects, in a bid to haul Australia out of recession.
Members of the Kooweerup Township Committee in February sought the help of Flinders MP Greg Hunt, who wrote to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Local Government Anthony Albanese, seeking $6.5 million for a Kooweerup Bypass.
The project is estimated to cost $14 million.
The previous Federal Government had committed $5.5 million to a Kooweerup Bypass, but there was confusion at the time of the 2007 election as to whether that commitment still stood.
VicRoads has been undertaking specialist studies into possible bypass alignments.
A State Government spokesman said a preferred route would be released in the coming months.
To find out whether funding was for the Kooweerup Bypass was included in the Federal Budget, which was handed down last night, visit www.starnewsgroup.com.au.