MEDIA ENQUIRIES For media enquiries contact Major Road Projects Victoria media T: 1800 549 714 E: media@roadprojects.vic.gov.au W: roadprojects.vic.gov.au Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

Media Release MONDAY 13 MAY 2019

WESTERN HIGHWAY PROJECT WELCOMES EASTERN MAAR SUPPORT

Major Road Projects Victoria has welcomed the support of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation for the revised route of the Western Highway upgrade.

Major Road Projects Victoria has been working closely with the Eastern Maar for more than a year to ensure that the Western Highway upgrade delivers the best possible result for the whole community.

Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation and Major Road Projects Victoria have reached an agreement on which critical trees should be retained as well as important initiatives including protection of cultural heritage in western Victoria and the inclusion of more Aboriginal people in the Western Highway project.

Major Road Projects Victoria Director of Development and Performance Andrew Williams said this outcome recognises the Aboriginal community’s close relationship and spiritual association with the land.

“We’re making sure the Western Highway upgrade is delivered in a way that respects the cultural values associated with the land and its Traditional Owners,” Mr Williams said.

“This is a project of national importance which is why we’ve worked extensively and respectfully with the Eastern Maar to reach agreement ensuring the Aboriginal community is at the forefront of what we do.”

“We’re continuing to work respectfully with the Djab Wurrung community, and with the support of the Eastern Maar, we’ll look to recommence work along the approved alignment of the Western Highway upgrade.”

To date, Major Road Projects Victoria has been able to realign the roadworks to avoid the two trees initially identified by the community as culturally significant and, more recently, has been able to confirm a further 13 trees will be retained.

Representatives from Major Road Projects Victoria, the Eastern Maar and the Djab Wurrung community have undertaken a walkthrough of the alignment to ensure, where possible, those trees identified as significant by the Aboriginal community are retained and protected during construction.

This builds upon the important work undertaken during the project’s planning stages to ensure Aboriginal heritage would be managed respectfully as part of the project’s Cultural Heritage Management Plan.

“The Western Highway is the main link between Melbourne and Adelaide and is the busiest undivided national highway in Australia – this upgrade will duplicate the road to improve safety for drivers,” Mr Williams said.

There have been 93 crashes on the Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell since 2014, including 10 deaths and 50 serious injuries.

Major Road Projects Victoria is now awaiting the outcome of an application to the Department of the Environment and Energy regarding the Western Highway and has informed the Department that works will not commence for another fortnight.

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ICN: 7585 ABN: 47 090 784 550

13 MAY 2019

EASTERN MAAR CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVED ALONG WESTERN HIGHWAY The Board of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC) and the Djab Wurrung community have secured important cultural heritage outcomes as part of the revised route of the Western Highway upgrade.

EMAC has been working with Major Road Projects Victoria as part of the project and they have been in close consultation since last year to help ensure that the Western Highway upgrade benefits the whole community and protects Aboriginal culture.

The Board of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, have now secured a commitment from Major Road Projects Victoria that the culturally significant trees will be protected. This commitment emphasises that protection of cultural heritage is paramount to the Eastern Maar people.

Aunt Ros Howden, a Eastern Maar elder and senior custodian for the trees stated, “I am very happy with the outcomes of the negotiations with the government. These trees are now protected and the road can go ahead.”

Representatives from the Eastern Maar community recently joined Major Road Projects Victoria on a walkthrough of the alignment to ensure, where possible, those trees identified as significant by the Aboriginal community are retained and protected during construction.

EMAC recognises the considerable efforts made by Major Road Projects Victoria to realign the roadworks to avoid the two trees initially identified by the community as culturally significant.

EMAC noted that a further 13 trees have been able to be retained along the alignment as a result of the consultations. They were grateful to members of their community who stood strong in protection of the trees.

Aunt Janice Austin, Eastern Maar elder and senior custodian for the trees stated that “no one argues with the fact this highway needs to be upgraded. Now the upgrade is going ahead in a way that protects our cultural heritage. The government has listened to our concerns.”

In a further sign of self determination on the right to protect culturally significant heritage, the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation will continue to work with the Victorian Government and Major Road Projects Victoria on the Western Highway project and its implementation.

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Maroona

Kilmore

Navarre

Rosebud

Seville

Lismore

Woodend

Torquay

Dunkeld

Tooradin

Cockatoo

Meredith

Drysdale

Box Hill

Trentham

Belgrave

Beaufort

Hastings

Mortlake

Lilydale

Creswick

Flinders

San Remo

Anglesea

Kinglake

Moorabbin

Lang Lang

Broadford

Dandenong

Penshurst

Cavendish

Glenorchy

Macarthur

Deer Park

Frankston

Warburton

Halls Gap

Inverloch

Buninyong

Heidelberg

Daylesford

Somerville

Lethbridge

Cranbourne

Yarra Glen

Lancefield

Apollo Bay

Port Fairy

Warrandyte

Whittlesea

Winchelsea

Flowerdale

Lake Bolac

Crib Point

Puckapunyal

Craigieburn

Bannockburn

Koo wee rup

Queenscliff

Tullamarine

Hurstbridge

Ocean Grove

St Leonards

Glenthompson

Barwon Heads

Bacchus Marsh

Port Campbell

Portarlington

Point Lonsdale

Riddells Creek

Yarra Junction

Hepburn Springs

Caroline Springs

Heathcote Junction

Colac

Romsey

Melton

Ararat

Seymour

Sunbury

Stawell

Macedon

Werribee

Gisborne

Pakenham

Wonthaggi

Alexandra

CamperdownMornington

Healesville

CastlemaineMaryborough

Geelong

Ballarat

Hamilton

Warrnambool

Melbourne

PRINCES HIGHWAY

WESTERN HIGHWAY

145°0'0"E

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This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employeesdo not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriatefor your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or otherconsequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

K:\GIS\projects\Ad hoc mapping\DOJ Native Title unit\Eastern Maar RSA\Eastern Maar RSA-wv-04SEP17.mxd

Map of Eastern Maar Traditional Owner Groupnegotiation area for a

Recognition and Settlement Agreementunder the

Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010Prepared by Aboriginal Victoria

September 2017

S O U T H E R N O C E A N B A S S S T R A I T

Boundarysubject to

agreement

withWathaurung Peoples

- making20 0 2010

kilometres

1:850,000Scale

±VICGRIDGDA 94

Victoria

Melbourne

Legend

Native Title Determination Areas

Proposed Agreement BoundaryBoundary remains subject to agreement-making with neighbouringTraditional Owner groups, or some other process for considerationof their interests

Zone of negotiation with Wotjobaluk Peoples

Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation Registered Aboriginal Party

Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Recognition and Settlement Agreement area

Eastern Maar/Gunditjmara Part B

Gunditjmara Part A

Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples