The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe is calling for action on the latest announcement from the Allan Labor Government’s so called “Regional Better Roads Blitz”.
“It is time that the Allan Labor Government put their money where their mouth is and spend the $976 million on the so called “road blitz” where it is desperately needed the most.
“This is the sixth announcement over five years regarding a regional roads repair blitz yet very little has been done.
“Victorians don’t want another glossy announcement with empty promises, they want their roads fixed and repairs that last. Spending almost a billion dollars on patch-ups is not a solution”, Ms O’Keeffe said.
The current condition of Victorian roads is proof that the Allan Labor Government has failed to properly plan and maintain the state’s road network for over a decade.
“Years of underinvestment and neglect has left drivers navigating potholes, cracked surfaces and uneven roads. These are problems that could have been avoided if proper maintenance had been prioritised all along.
“I have been constantly calling on the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne, to repair our appalling and unsafe roads that have been neglected to such an extent which it is hard to find a road that isn’t crumbling and full of potholes across the electorate.
“Just prior to this recent announcement, I sent the Minister a list of our most dangerous and neglected roads as well as photos so that she can see the unbelievable extent of appalling and unsafe roads that we are dealing with.”
Ms O’Keeffe reiterated that she has called on the Minister once again to repair roads across the Shepparton Electorate as a matter of urgency.
“Let us see if the Minister invests this money out into the regions and into my electorate as promised.
“While the Government claims that 70 per cent of funding will go to regional areas, many communities remain skeptical.
“Regional drivers face dangerous conditions daily and they are tired of repeated promises by this Government that fail to deliver.
“Drivers are fed up with the appalling and unsafe conditions of our roads, they are sick of having to pay for damage to their vehicles and they are sick of no action to repair our roads.
“The blitz does nothing to address systemic issues such as poor construction standards that see roads crumble after a short period of time, the mismanagement of funds that sees projects routinely over budget and behind schedule or just a lack of transparency on how roads were prioritised and who really benefits.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage our road repairs and its regional Victorians that are paying the price.”
