Commonwealth to Bracks on next bypass stage

The Commonwealth will reject Premier Steve Bracks’s funding plea on the fourth stage of Geelong’s bypass, a Liberal party source told the Independent yesterday.
The source said federal Transport Minister Jim Lloyd would tell Mr Bracks stage four was outside the Federal Government’s Auslink funding criteria.
Mr Lloyd would also ask Mr Bracks to go back to the drawing board on stage three and prepare costings for a route further west of Geelong.
“The Federal Government will confirm the Auslink network ends where the ring road hits the Princes Highway and stage four is not a part of the network,” the source said.
“Stage four does not have a call on federal funding.”
The source said Mr Bracks had written to the Commonwealth asking for an “in-principle” funding commitment.
“He didn’t say any figure, he just requested a 50 per cent commitment.”
The source said Vicroads documents leaked to the Federal Government estimated stage four would cost more than $300 million.
The first three stages of the bypass have a budget of $380 million.
The source said stage four seemed “inordinately expensive”.
Mr Bracks announced stage four soon after revealing the third leg of the bypass would end at a T-intersection with the Princes Highway at Waurn Ponds. Residents and community groups attacked the stage three plan, fearing a traffic bottleneck.
Stage four would include several components including an overpass and links back to Princes and Surf Coast highways and Anglesea roads.
State Transport Minister Peter Batchelor’s spokesperson said the Government was yet to hear from Mr Lloyd on the funding appeal.
“Only the Government’s option provides a true bypass for the people of Geelong and provides a future link to the Surf Coast Highway,” he said.
“The Federal Government should stop playing politics with this road.”