The Carroll Labor Government’s announcement of a review into the state’s pothole compensation scheme is a token gesture of a government desperately trying to avoid accountability.
The announcement came after media reports on Wednesday that the government was rejecting 98 per cent of Victorian motorists seeking compensation for damage caused by potholes.
Motorists across Victoria have this week been left stranded and counting the cost of damage to their vehicles as a result of the state’s pothole crisis.
Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety Danny O’Brien said the review would not uncover any new information and was unlikely to be completed before the election this November.
“No one should believe that this government is actually interested. This is a review that they’ll never have to worry about or that they’ll never have to deliver,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Victorian motorists will see through exactly what this government is doing.
“We’re in a cost of living crisis, people are blowing tyres, cracking rims, damaging their vehicles and they’re not even getting compensation for it. They shouldn’t be needing compensation, they should have their roads fixed.”
Mr O’Brien said the accountability for 12 years of roads mismanagement went straight to the top of the government.
“Ben Carroll cut the roads maintenance budget by $214 million over two years when he was Minister for Roads, starting the rot that has now led to the appalling state of our roads,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr O’Brien grilled the Premier in Parliament on Tuesday, pointing to his history in overseeing the disintegration of Victoria’s road network, asking why Victorians should have any confidence he will now do anything to fix the roads given his past record of maintenance cuts.
The Premier gave a 22-word retort but no assurance that he will do anything to fix our roads.
“The Premier has now followed his colleagues in blaming the weather and trucks for the state of the roads, not successive Labor budget cuts and mismanagement,” Mr O’Brien said.
“They should be aware that Ben Carroll is a big part of the problem not the solution.”
If elected, the Liberals and Nationals have pledged $5 billion properly maintain our roads and fix a million potholes.
“As well as investing $5 billion in road maintenance, we will establish Better Roads Victoria as a standalone division within the Department of Transport and Planning, boost roadside maintenance such as grass slashing, graffiti removal and drain clearance and lift departmental and contractor accountability through a review of construction standards and maintenance contracts,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We will make sure that Victorians are not needing compensation because they won’t actually have the damage if the roads are maintained in the first place.”
