The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe, has invited the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne, to come and see firsthand the appalling works that have been completed on repairing the Katamatite-Shepparton Road after speaking in Parliament recently.
“The Minister, as part of her duty of care as Minister for Roads and Road Safety, needs to come and see firsthand the unacceptable, unsafe standard of the road repairs that are being done under her watch. You do really have to see it to believe it,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
In the recent State Budget, the Allan Labor Government announced a $976 million road regional roads funding blitz, Ms O’Keeffe has urged the government to prioritise the most unsafe and damaged roads in the regions.
“The government must ensure that the money is being spent on quality road repairs and road maintenance.
“Not the disgraceful works and short-term patch-up jobs that we are seeing, just like the Katamatite-Shepparton Rd. And not poor, short-term fixes that continually need to be redone.”
The Department of Transport and Planning’s performance measures in the recent state budget show that the Allan Labor Government is maintaining less than a third of repairs it did in the past.
“Despite claiming record amounts on roads, Labor’s own budget papers show a shocking 93 per cent reduction in roads patching and a 14 per cent reduction on road resealing and rehabilitation.
“Not only are the works been done poorly, but we have also had a reduction, which is astounding considering the increasing number of appalling and unsafe roads that are crumbling and full of potholes.
“Yet this government are spending less and nowhere near meeting the road maintenance needs. Road safety must be a priority.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage our roads and Victorians are paying the price.”