Greater Shepparton City Council, alongside the community, is calling on all political parties to commit to planning and development of a second Goulburn River crossing, warning that one of Victoria’s fastest-growing regional cities cannot continue to rely on a single major river crossing.
As Greater Shepparton’s number one transport advocacy priority, the second crossing would improve connectivity between Shepparton and Mooroopna, strengthen emergency and flood resilience, support nationally significant freight routes and ensure the region’s transport network can keep pace with population and economic growth.
The project forms the centrepiece of Council’s Greater Shepparton Road Network Resilience Package, released as part of its 2026 Victorian State Election Priorities. The package also includes upgrades to critical road corridors and increased investment in local road maintenance to improve safety, freight efficiency and network resilience across the municipality.
Located at the intersection of the Goulburn Valley Highway and Midland Highway, Greater Shepparton is a critical link in Victoria’s and Australia’s freight network, connecting major agricultural, manufacturing and food processing industries with domestic and international markets.
Mayor, Councillor Geoff Akers said the region had an important role to play in supporting Victoria’s growth, but transport infrastructure had not kept pace.
“When people think about Australia’s food bowl, they think about the produce on supermarket shelves. What they don’t often see is the infrastructure required to move that produce around the country and to export markets,” he said.
“Greater Shepparton sits at the heart of one of Australia’s most productive agricultural regions, yet key parts of our transport network remain vulnerable to congestion, disruption and extreme weather events.”
The package includes investment in a new Goulburn River Bridge, upgrades to key freight and commuter routes including River Road, Ford Road and Wanganui Road, the Shepparton Alternative Route, Toolamba Road and the Midland Highway intersection, as well as improvements to local road maintenance funding.
“This is not simply about getting local traffic from point A to point B. This is about protecting nationally significant freight routes, strengthening supply chains and ensuring businesses can continue to move goods efficiently across Victoria and Australia,” Cr Akers said.
The vulnerability of the existing transport network was laid bare during the 2022 flood emergency, when access between Shepparton and Mooroopna (the region’s two largest towns) was cut off, placing significant pressure on transport routes relied upon by residents, emergency services and freight operators.
“The floods exposed a weakness that cannot be ignored,” Cr Akers said.
“A regional city of Greater Shepparton’s size and strategic importance should not be dependent on a single major river crossing. The second bridge is fundamentally about resilience, safety and maintaining economic continuity during emergencies.”
Greater Shepparton is home to major food manufacturing, logistics, transport and agricultural enterprises that rely on efficient freight connections to Melbourne, interstate markets and export supply chains.
“Every day, trucks carrying fresh food, agricultural products and manufactured goods move through Greater Shepparton. Delays, congestion and network disruptions have real economic consequences that extend far beyond municipal boundaries,” Cr Akers said.
The Greater Shepparton Road Network Resilience Package has already received strong backing from local industry representatives. Cleaves Earthmoving Operations Manager, Paul Cooney said congestion on key intersections was having a daily impact on businesses.
“Safety and congestion at the Wanganui Road intersection affect businesses every day,” he said.
Kreskas Brothers Transport Managing Director, Josh Kreskas said investment was urgently needed to support growing freight demands.
“Our roads are struggling to keep up. We need investment to keep everyone safe,” he said.
Cr Akers said the projects represent a choice for government about how regional Victoria will support future growth.
“The question for policymakers is simple. If Greater Shepparton is expected to continue feeding the nation, supporting exports and driving regional growth, will the infrastructure investment follow?”
“The cost of inaction will ultimately impact businesses, freight operators, communities and consumers across Victoria.”
