Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has been joined by her Nationals colleagues for a roundtable meeting in Shepparton to discuss the dire state of regional Victoria’s road network.
Ms Cleeland was joined by Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety Danny O’Brien, Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe, as well as Des Callaghan OAM, the Road Safe Goulburn Valley Chairman.
The meeting was held to address significant concerns about the number of lives lost on regional roads, cuts to the road maintenance and resurfacing budgets, a lack of funding for road betterment, and next steps going forward.
With road maintenance funding decreasing from $702.2 million to just $441.6 million in the last year alone, on top of $230 million being cut from road safety programs in the past two years, Ms Cleeland said investment was essential to improving the road network.
“We are in desperate need of investment into the roads budget, particularly for the improvement of these damaged roads rather than patch-up maintenance that continues to wash away every time floods or heavy traffic occur,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We’ve already heard from our local councils that the most recent floods have washed away most of the patch-up road repairs that were done following the 2022 floods.
“This is not a cycle that needs to continue; it’s time this Allan Labor Government cares for the lives of Victorians and invests in repairing these roads properly.”
Mr O’Brien said the Allan Labor Government is to blame as the regional road network’s poor condition continues to impact the entire state.
“These roads are causing problems for commuters, the transport industry, and visitors to our regional towns,” Mr O’Brien said.
“While the floods have certainly been a contributing factor to the deterioration, the lack of funding to maintain and repair roads is the real culprit.
“Despite cost blowouts of nearly $40 billion on major infrastructure projects under Jacinta Allan, Labor is actually spending less on basic maintenance of our roads.”
Ms Cleeland said safety continues to be an issue with the roads, with last year’s road toll being far too high.
“Last year was a horrific year on the roads, with Victoria’s road toll hitting a fifteen-year high,” Ms Cleeland said,
“We saw 174 lives lost on regional roads in 2023, with shockingly 50 of those lives lost in the Goulburn Valley region – 28 lives lost in Murrindindi Shire, six in Strathbogie Shire, 13 in Moira Shire, and four in Mitchell Shire.
“The sheer number of lives lost has been devastating, but we must never forget that these are not just numbers but people whose families, friends, and communities will mourn their loss for years to come.
“With the roads worse than ever, a rise in lives lost, and insurance claims through the roof, it’s hard to justify the Allan Labor Government’s ongoing cuts to community road safety programs and road maintenance budgets.
“Our roadworthy cars deserve roads that are worthy of them.”
