General News
18 March, 2026
Cultural heritage approval clears path for highway
Following extensive work between Victoria's Big Build and the Registered Aboriginal Party, including critical input into the revised design of the Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat, the project now has an approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan, which will allow it to move to the next step.
The Western Highway is the busiest national undivided highway in Australia, and as the number of fatalities and injuries continues to climb, the announcement that the upgrade is one step closer has been welcomed.
The new design will deliver a safe, efficient Western Highway while reducing the impact on Aboriginal cultural heritage and the environment.
“We’ve been working with the Aboriginal community for several years, including the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation as the Registered Aboriginal Party,” a spokesperson said.
“EMAC has approved the Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the upgrade.
“In every community, there is a broad range of views. EMAC is the formally recognised Traditional Owner group that represents the Djab Wurrung people.”
Highway upgrades are already complete between Ballarat and Buangor, so the next stage will be to upgrade the 12 kilometres of Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat.
This stretch of busy highway is currently one lane in each direction, impacting journey reliability and providing fewer opportunities to safely overtake.
As the number of vehicles travelling along this section of the highway has significantly increased, so too has the crash rate, with multiple crashes and fatalities on the Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell in recent years.
An extra lane in each direction should improve overtaking safety.
A centre median strip will separate traffic, reducing the likelihood of vehicles accidentally veering into oncoming traffic.
Additional barriers, a new interchange, and safer entry and exit points on the Western Highway will enhance safety.
A new bridge over the railway line and the Hopkins River will improve safety.
A key change includes shifting the new highway alignment slightly south at Pope Road and Warrayatkin Road, which will go around the cultural heritage site at the centre of the delays.
“We have updated our design for the Western Highway Upgrade between Buangor and Ararat to meet contemporary road safety and design standards and minimise impacts on the environment and Aboriginal cultural heritage,” they said.
Work has also been done to update other key planning and environmental approvals, which have been submitted to the relevant State and Federal departments for consideration.
In the 10 years to June 2025, there were 171 crashes on the Western Highway, between Ballarat and Stawell, including 21 fatalities and 100 people seriously injured.
The design for the Western Highway Upgrade between Buangor and Ararat will meet contemporary road safety and design standards and minimise environmental and Aboriginal cultural heritage impacts.
Work to update other key planning and environmental approvals has now been submitted to the relevant State and Federal departments for consideration.
Meanwhile, to increase safety until the upgrade is completed, speed reductions from 100 km/h to 80 km/h are already in place on a 1.2-kilometre stretch of road at the Langhi Ghiran rail overpass.
There will be High Risk signs and additional curve alignment markers to guide drivers around bends.
There will also be additional ‘two-way road’ signs and painted arrows, extending the solid line barrier, and additional linemarking to prevent overtaking.
The Ombudsman investigated the planning and delivery of the project, with particular regard to concerns raised about the protection of sacred Aboriginal sites.
Works on upgrading the highway began in 2013, and in that time, 55km between Ballarat and Buango have been upgraded.
The Western Highway Upgrade is a jointly funded project by the Victorian and Australian governments to meet the demands of a growing population, improve safety, support communities, and boost the regional economy.
Western Highway is the major road link between Melbourne and Adelaide.
Farming, grain production, regional tourism, and a range of manufacturing services rely heavily on this highway.
Crews continue to undertake environmental management activities and maintain the safety and security of the project site.
New construction dates will be announced once all project approvals have been met.