Wednesday 20 November 2024
The Allan Labor Government has redirected vital funds from road safety programs to spend on more revenue-raising speed cameras as it desperately tries to plug black holes in the state budget.
Evidence heard at Parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee today revealed $42.8 million was “transferred” from the Road Safety Strategy for new speed cameras.
It comes after $88 million was cut from the Road Safety Fund last year and further reduced by 27 per cent in the current financial year.
Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O’Brien, questioned the government’s priorities.
“Victorians will be wondering if the government is focused on road safety or on raising more revenue?
“Taking money from road safety for more speed cameras just looks like revenue-raising for a cash-strapped government.
“Labor can’t manage money and it’s Victorian motorists who are paying the price.
“We’ve already seen huge reductions in TAC-funded road safety spending and road safety infrastructure programs such as safety barriers and tactile line-marking have been axed altogether.
“At a time when the road toll is at its highest level in 15 years, taking crucial funds from road safety to install more speed cameras is robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay Tim Pallas.”
The committee also heard that speed limits on 480 km of road have been reduced due to the poor state of the surface.
Road maintenance fell a whopping 95 per cent in the 2023/24 financial year, with the road area rehabilitated or resurfaced falling from 10 million square metres to just 444,000 square metres.
“Already our roads are in such a dire state that an RACV survey showed that the condition of our roads is now the single biggest road safety concern for a majority of Victorians,” Mr O’Brien said.
Media contact: Dominic McDermott 0448 163 006 dominic.mcdermott@opposition.vic.gov.au