According to Victoria’s Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O’Brien, issues with the state’s road network are due to funding cuts and neglect, rather than freak weather events.
He’s taken aim at the Victorian government for its inaction on the state’s “crumbling roads”.
“The rainfall data for Victoria over the past 50 years shows no clear trend of increased rainfall that would explain such a dramatic reduction in the condition of our roads,” said O’Brien.
“The maintenance numbers are grim and there is no hiding from the fact there has been a massive reduction in funding for repairs just when we need it the most.”
Funding for resurfacing and resealing contracts for Victorian roads in the 2023/24 financial year has dropped dramatically, with only $37.6 million spent across the state – that’s compared to $201.4 million the previous year.
O’Brien’s comments follow a submission by the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) to the Refresh of the Victorian Freight Strategy, where its president Emma Germano said: “Victoria has the worst roads in the country. The freight strategy must set a vision for us to have the best roads in Australia.”
She added: “The total neglect of regional roads has happened in part because the previous freight strategy never identified maintenance as a priority. That is despite it having been a key ask of all freight and transport industry stakeholders.”
Earlier this month however, the Australian and Victorian governments announced $120 million in combined funding to improve safety on regional roads, footpaths and cycleways through to June 30, 2025.
The funding will be used across 24 sites, including four packages of works – with 15 projects in regional areas and nine in urban and metropolitan areas.
In announcing the funding, Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said, “We are getting on and delivering widespread improvements across our regional road network to reduce fatal and serious road incidents in Victoria.
“These road safety upgrades will help to reduce the number of crashes across our state and prolong the life of Victoria’s roads for years to come.”
Victoria is beyond broke, those who decided this need to be held accountable & their assets seized to pay for their incompetence. Enough of passing the buck onto the taxpayer.