Locals across the Wimmera and south-west Victoria will finally see much-needed road repairs under a Nationals and Liberals government, with an announcement this week to fix our roads and make them safe.
The Nationals’ plan for better, safer roads includes a 25 per cent increase in maintenance funding and road repairs, bringing back engineers to design better roads that suit local conditions, and holding contractors to account for their work.
The $5-billion commitment over four years will target roads across the state, including those in the Lowan electorate where the current Labor government has enforced permanent speed limit reductions instead of simply fixing our crumbling roads, such as Ararat-Halls Gap Road between Moyston and Ararat, and the Wimmera Highway at Vectis, west of Horsham.
The commitment is part of the Nationals’ Fair Share Guarantee, which will ensure that 25 per cent of the state’s infrastructure budget is spent in regional Victoria.
The Nationals’ Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the investment would finally give locals the good quality and safe roads they needed and deserved to support our freight chains and get Victorians to work, school, sport and around the state safely.
“Country people have put up with shocking roads and bandaid patch-up jobs for far too long, forced to travel on pothole-riddled surfaces and crumbling road edges – even on our major highways,” she said.
“It’s simply unfair for road users to pay the price for Labor’s neglect of our roads by copping costly repairs for vehicle damage.
“A Nationals and Liberals government will fix the roads and make them safe, reversing years of neglect and funding cuts under Labor.
“We know there are dozens of roads across western Victoria that are in dire need of investment, including the Wimmera Highway between Rupanyup and Marnoo, the Henty Highway, the Glenelg Highway between Casterton and Coleraine, the Hamilton Highway, and of course the Western Highway.
“Our plan will ensure these roads will finally be fixed and made safe.”
Ms Kealy said The Nationals would also establish Better Roads Victoria as a standalone division within the Department of Transport and Planning, rebuilding the technical and engineering expertise lost when the Allan Labor government abandoned VicRoads and axed Regional Roads Victoria.
Construction standards and maintenance contracts will also be reviewed, to ensure Victorians are getting the best standard of work for their money.
“It’s time to end the waste, stop the corruption and use taxpayers’ money appropriately to fix our roads and make them safe,” she said.
“The Victorian Nationals and Liberals have a plan to deliver the fresh start Victorians are desperate to see, and delivering our fair share for regional Victoria is exactly what a Nationals and Liberals government will do.”
