The Nationals have renewed calls for a new funding package to repair regional roads.
The Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad recently invited Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety Danny O’Brien to inspect central Victorian roads that were also affected by rain and floods.
“Some of the worst damage was in the Premier’s own electorate of Bendigo East, but the same issues are found right across regional Victoria.” Ms Broad said.
“We found large potholes, very uneven surfaces, broken road shoulders and cracking on the roads.
“Some potholes are more than 20cm in depth, and the feedback from residents is that on busy roads used by trucks and school buses, they need to wait for other vehicles to pass to avoid potholes.”
“Northern Victoria’s roads were already in a terrible state after years of neglect and budget cuts from Labor, but the wet spring and summer have seen them deteriorate even further.
“Some sections of our roads are quite dangerous.”
Mr O’Brien said drivers were paying the price, as data provided to State Parliament showed the number of Victorians seeking compensation for damage to their vehicles had soared by 414 per cent in three years.
He said Labor had allocated a disappointing $165 million for road repairs following the October 2022 floods but had done nothing to address damage from the recent wet spring and summer.
“Labor can’t manage money and can’t manage to maintain our roads.”
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au