Master Builders received Matthew Guy’s recent election pledge to invest up to $5.3 billion in removing traffic lights and roundabouts at 55 of Melbourne and Geelong’s most congested intersections as a continued step in the right direction for meeting the state’s transportation infrastructure needs.

“Victoria’s population grew by 2.4 per cent—149,000 people–over the year to 2017, which is the strongest growth in the nation. This action could be an important part of the steady queue of shovel-ready projects we must have to protect Victoria’s reputation as a great place to live and do business,” Master Builders Association of Victoria CEO Radley de Silva said.

“The large scale of this project would create thousands of jobs in construction and, upon completion, help builders and tradies spend less time on the road and more time on their job sites,” he said.

“As the fastest-growing state in Australia, the need for transportation infrastructure to accommodate that growth is of the utmost importance for the economy and quality of life in Victoria,” Mr de Silva said.

“Master Builders is keen to understand the detailed plans for implementation—how and when, exactly, it would be rolled out.

“We also want to see a practical scheme for ensuring the removal work doesn’t create its own traffic congestion problems,” Mr de Silva said.