The Federal and Victorian governments have come together to deliver a series of upgrades to Australia’s largest dairy production area, with some projects complete and others underway on the Dairy Supply Chain Road.

Road works will be completed on a total of six kilometres of roads along Cobden-Stonyford road, Bullaharre, and Princes Highway West at Pirron Yallock.

These upgrades include improved road surfaces, new safety barriers, and enhanced signage and line markings.

Together, the improvements will support local agricultural activities and provide more efficient and reliable transport routes for dairy products to both domestic and international markets.

“The Dairy Supply Chain Road network in Victoria’s southwest facilitates the daily transport of 24 per cent of the nation’s milk production, with 392,000 cows producing 2.05 billion litres of milk annually across more than 1000 farms,” said Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King.

“These works will also cater for future growth in passenger vehicle volumes and a predicted 20 per cent growth in freight vehicle volumes over the next 25 years, driven by tourism, dairy and other commodity sectors.”

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Works to upgrade two sections of Cobden-Stonyford Road totalling three kilometres began in late November between Evans Road in Cobden and Shenfields Lane in Bullaharre.

Planning is also underway for an additional three-kilometre upgrade of Princes Highway West and Pirron Yallock.

“A strong dairy supply chain is essential to our economy and to the communities that rely on it,” said Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence.

“By investing in the infrastructure that connects farms to processors and markets, we’re helping our dairy industry remain productive, competitive and reliable.”

The $37.7 million Dairy Supply Chain Road upgrades are being jointly funded by the Federal and State governments, which are contributing $18.9 million and $18.8 million, respectively.