Victorian farmers will have a smoother journey from their farm gate to market thanks to $20 million from the Andrews Labor Government to improve key local roads.
Minister for Agriculture and Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas was in Kyneton today to announce $480,000 for Macedon Ranges Shire Council to upgrade Sidonia Road.
The funding, delivered through the Labor Government’s AgriLinks Upgrade Program, will widen and reconstruct the road so it can better cater for heavy vehicles that regularly use the road to transport beef, wool and other farm produce. New barriers and better drainage will also be installed on Sidonia Road to boost safety.
The Sidonia Road project is one of 48 local road, intersection and bridge infrastructure works supported through the AgriLinks program, which provided funding to 38 rural, regional and peri-urban councils across the state.
These important local road infrastructure upgrades will increase productivity and reduce travel times, which will better connect country roads to major transport routes.
Producers, processors and other agri-food supply chain businesses will benefit from being better connected to markets and communities with reduced travel times.
The program complements funding provided through the previous Local Roads to Market Program, which supported 78 local projects along Victoria’s rural and regional agricultural freight routes, delivering productivity and safety improvements for farmers and businesses.
The AgriLinks Upgrade Program is part of the Labor Government’s $2.7 billion Building Works package that is getting thousands of Victorians back to work on crucial infrastructure projects around Victoria.
AgriLinks is also another way the Labor Government is delivering on its new Agriculture Strategy – helping to build a agriculture sector that is strong, innovative and sustainable by supporting producers to be more profitable and ensuring more products can be delivered to markets more often.
A full list of councils awarded funding through the AgriLinks Upgrade Program will be announced in the coming weeks.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture and Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
“Improving the roads and infrastructure used by farmers and producers will help them grow their businesses by reaching more customers more quickly, contributing to the overall growth of the sector.”
“This investment in local road upgrades will get more people back to work on projects that benefit all road users, particularly farmers and producers, who need to travel long distances to connect with customers and markets.”
Reviewed 26 April 2021