Nationals Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy is frustrated to hear that the Minister for Roads and Andrews Labor Government have decided to forgo their budget promise and cut even more funding towards regional road maintenance in this years 2022/23 State Budget.
Mr McCurdy said, “This is just disgraceful.
“The Victorian Government is not “investing in every corner of the State” (2022/23 State Budget pg. 16), instead its prioritising Melbourne’s big build at the costs of our regional roads.”
He continued, “If the Victorian Government believes its own words that “regional Victorians know better than most [about] how important it is to have safe and reliable roads” (2020/21 State Budget – Rural and Regional pg. 45), then why are their voices not being heard?”
The Road Asset Management currently sits at $592.7 million (2022/23 State Budget pg. 348), down from $807.4 million two years ago (2020/21 State Budget p 356).
Mr McCurdy said, “Instead of implementing and actually delivering their previous Budget promises, the Victorian Government is instead ‘rebranding’ and ‘redressing’ them again in this years Budget.
“For instance, page 119 2022/23 State Budget talks about ‘delivering 12 new Vlocity trains on the Shepparton and Warrnambool lines’, a delivery that was promised two years ago on page 19 of the 2020/21 State Budget.
“How can the Victorian Government be doing more for our regional roads when there has been a significant budget cut?”
Mr McCurdy encourages members within the Ovens Valley to get online to vicsworstroad.vote and nominate the most dangerous roads they face.