By Lauren Henry

A fatal car crash on Saturday has sparked a petition to urgently upgrade the Western Highway south of Ararat to dual lanes.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision at Buangor, southeast of Ararat, at about 5.10pm on Saturday.

The driver of one vehicle died at the scene, while the other driver, a Horsham man, needed to be extracted from the second car.

He was then airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne with life-threatening injuries.

The highway was closed in both directions on Saturday evening while emergency services personnel attended and investigated the exact circumstances surrounding the collision.

Laura Gardner started the change.org online petition on Sunday, urging the Department of Transport, the State Government and Road Safety Victoria to take immediate action to upgrade the Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat in order to prevent further loss of life.

“This stretch of road has proven to be dangerous, and the current infrastructure is insufficient for the growing traffic and safety demands of the area,” Ms Gardner wrote.

“While we understand and respect the importance of preserving the Indigenous trees, it is crucial that we accommodate environmental and historical concerns with the safety and well-being of the community.

“We cannot continue to ignore the dangerous conditions that have led to too many fatalities.

“By making this road a double lane, we can significantly improve road safety, reduce the likelihood of accidents, and save lives.”

Plans to duplicate lanes on the highway from Buangor to Ararat were halted in 2018 when activists set up three camps, known collectively as the Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Embassy, with the aim of protecting trees of Indigenous significance.
In 2019, the State Government agreed to alter the design of the project to avoid two trees identified by some members of the Indigenous community as being of significance. 

Additional design revisions made since will allow for a total of 16 trees of Indigenous significance to be retained.

Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, EMAC, the Registered Aboriginal Party responsible for Aboriginal heritage in the region, is working with heritage consultants to complete a new Cultural Heritage Management Plan, CHMP, before work can continue.

A State Government spokesperson told The Weekly Advertiser in April last year they were hopeful the project’s resumption was ‘imminent’, with hopes construction would resume late in 2025.

A Major Road Projects Victoria spokesperson said work on the CHMP had made sizeable progress, with desktop investigations, site investigations and assessment of cultural heritage values well underway in collaboration with EMAC and the heritage advisor.

“We are continuing to work with Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation on the preparation of a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat,” they said.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the region’s residents had been waiting almost a decade for the ‘dangerous road to be fixed’.

“It’s getting to a devastating point where most locals know someone who has been caught up or involved in an incident or fatality on the Western Highway,” she said.

“How many people need to die before state and federal governments make this deadly road safe?”

As of 4pm yesterday, 1842 people had signed the petition. 

Signatories of the petition commented about the stretch of highway being ‘dangerous’, raising concerns about an increasing amount of trucks using the highway, and the high risk of wildlife coming onto the road.

According to Department of Transport data, in the 10 years to June 2024, there were 174 crashes on the highway between Ballarat and Stawell, including 15 fatalities and 104 people seriously injured.

Being the major road link between Melbourne and Adelaide, more than 8000 vehicles – including 2400 trucks – travel on the highway each day.

For more information about the petition, people can visitwww.change.org/p/improve-road-safety-between-buangor-and-ararat.

Police urge anyone who witnessed Saturday’s collision or with dashcam footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

The entire March 12, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!