The Princes Highway Corridor Strategy PDF: 1138 KB was commissioned by the Australian Government in November 2018 to provide a ‘whole of corridor’ perspective of the current and future role of the Princes Highway as a transport route.
GHD Advisory (GHD) was selected via a formal procurement process to deliver technical analysis and stakeholder engagement to inform the development of the Strategy. The Strategy delivers a practical 10-year framework to guide Australian and State Government investments along the Corridor. It documents the approach and findings used to develop an evidence-based set of initiatives to ensure the Corridor can serve the needs of users in the longer term.
The key outcome of the Strategy is a suite of 14 Initiatives to inform decision making and aim to create a future Corridor that:
- is a safer Corridor for all users;
- is resilient to change and population growth;
- delivers more efficient movements and services between townships;
- embraces and adapts to changing technologies (for example, autonomous vehicles); and
- promotes economic activity through Corridor activation.
Some of the Initiatives recommend transport infrastructure upgrades to improve safety and freight efficiency. Other Initiatives address broader issues, such as a Digital Strategy for the Corridor and preparing for future changes in the transport fleet.
The following activities were undertaken to develop the evidence base to inform Australian Government investment decisions along the Princes Highway:
- A comprehensive analysis and assessment of the social, demographic, economic and land use characteristics of the Corridor.
- An assessment of Corridor performance, including the performance of existing transport infrastructure assets.
- Development of a Movement and Place Framework.
- Engagement with stakeholders as part of developing the Strategy.
Stakeholder engagement was a critical part of the development of the Strategy, led by GHD. Workshops were held in December 2018 and August 2019 along the Corridor. An Issues Paper was released in March 2019 and stakeholders were invited to provide written submissions. Over 200 stakeholder organisations were engaged from November 2018 through to August 2019 including State and Local Governments along the route, Regional Development Authorities, peak bodies such as road and industry associations, and other key stakeholders
About the Princes Highway
The Princes Highway is a national road asset running along the southeast coast of Australia, beginning in Sydney and ending in Port Augusta. Part of Australia’s Highway One network, the route extends for over 2,000km through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, serving as an important connection between the metropolitan centres of Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide.
Excluding capital cities, over 1 million people live in the local government areas along the Princes Highway, with an estimated 50% living in urban centres or townships. The Highway supports from below 1,000 vehicles per day in rural sections to over 60,000 vehicles per day in urban centres.
The Princes Highway is strategically important for freight movements, providing regional industries such as forestry, metal manufacturing, timber, beef, seafood and dairy producers with access to domestic markets and major ports. It is also an iconic tourist road, forming part of the Grand Pacific Drive along the south coast of NSW and links to the Great Ocean Road on the west Victorian coast.The total alignment of the Princes Highway is shown below.
(Click map for larger version)
Corridor maps by state:
Issues Paper - published 5 March 2019
The Issues Paper PDF: 4202 KB summarised initial work identifying issues and opportunities to be considered in the development of the Princes Highway Corridor Strategy. Publication of this Paper was part of the public consultation process. Submissions have now closed.