More than a year after receiving a promise of $1 billion in federal funding to widen a freeway in Melbourne’s west, Victoria has yet to provide all the documents needed to unlock the money and start the project.
Congestion on the Western Freeway between Melton and Caroline Springs is a major concern for communities in the booming outer western suburbs, with rapidly growing new suburbs forecast to cause the traffic to rise from 86,000 vehicles a day to 113,000 by 2031.
The Albanese government committed $1 billion in March 2025 to widen the freeway, and Victoria completed a joint state and federal funded $20 million business case in December 2024.
But the federal Infrastructure Department has confirmed it only recently received the business case from Victoria and is still waiting for a second piece of planning work for the project to move forward.
“The second part of this work, the delivery case, which examines the priority, scope, and specific sections of the highway to upgrade, is being finalised by the Victorian government,” a Department of Infrastructure spokesperson said.
“Our funding is available to flow once the Victorian government submits the relevant documentation to the Commonwealth.”
The federal advisor Infrastructure Australia, which was set up to assess all proposals seeking $250 million or more from the Commonwealth, said it had not received the business case.
“The timing of any submission would be a matter for the Victorian government,” a spokesperson said.
City of Melton Mayor Lara Carli said residents faced delays daily, and the council was “eagerly awaiting” detailed plans and timeframes for the upgrade.
“It has been over a year since $1 billion in funding for the upgrade was announced, and it’s time to get on with the project,” she said.
However, Carli said the $1 billion committed would not cover the full upgrade, and so the council was calling on the state government to match that funding.
Melton Council wrote to Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams in February seeking clarity about the scope of works covered by the initial $1 billion commitment and a timeline for when the state government would deliver the project.
It also asked the state government for additional investment to deliver interchanges at Mount Cottrell, Hopkins Road, and a duplication of the overpass and rail bridge over Ferris Road.
Williams responded to council that Victoria was in discussions with the Commonwealth to “identify and prioritise upgrades based on the recommendations in the jointly funded program business case”.
Susan Yengi, chair of western council alliance LeadWest, said the stretch between Melton and Caroline Springs serviced one of Australia’s fastest growing regions and action was urgent.
“We are calling for works to be progressed as a priority,” she said. “Thousands of residents and workers rely on this corridor and continue to experience significant congestion, delays and ongoing safety concerns.”
Crashes along the freeway killed nine people and seriously injured another 126 in the five years to June 2025.
A spokesman for the Allan government said the delivery plan to confirm the project scope and timeline was nearly completed.
“We have provided an investment business case for the Western Freeway to the federal government, and preconstruction works will commence this year,” they said.
Liberal member for Western Metropolitan region Trung Luu, who raised the project in parliament last month, said the Western Freeway upgrade “has been all talk and no progress”.
“And it’s people in the west who are paying the price,” he said.
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Patrick Hatch is transport reporter at The Age and a former business reporter.Connect via X or email.