Federal Member for Forrest Nola Marino has confirmed the federal government will commit $10 million towards planning stage two and three of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.  The project will provide more efficient freight access to the Bunbury Port, reducing congestion on the local road network.  Mrs Marino said planning for the two stages was underway with stage two likely to involve construction of a southern section of road between South Western Highway and Bussell Highway.  Stage three is expected to extend from the Boyanup-Picton Road to the Forrest Highway.  “Once completed, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 vehicles a day will make use of various sections of the Outer Ring Road, rather than the already congested existing road network,” Mrs Marino said.  Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the Australian government’s $10 million investment towards the $12.5 million planning phase of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road project would provide the community with route certainty. “This funding will be used to finalise the alignment, which extends from the Bussell Highway to the Forrest Highway with the primary focus on facilitating more efficient access for freight vehicles visiting Bunbury’s port and industrial centres,” Mr Chester said. “This project is in line with the innovative developments the government will be backing over the next 10 years through its $75 billion national major infrastructure projects.” The funding builds on the Australian Government’s previous commitment of $105.4 million to deliver stage one of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road and the Bunbury Port Access Road, which were completed in 2014. The remaining $2.5 million for the project’s planning has been committed by the state government.