Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy is concerned over regional roads being constantly starved of much needed funding.
Deteriorating roads around the district and their subsequent safety issues are concerning local politicians and residents.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Unsatisfactory repairs to the Murray Valley Highway. for example, have made the busy stretch of highway dangerous for several years.
However, major repairs to the highway may be a long way off if more funding is not allocated to the maintenance and repair of local roads.
An extensive analysis of the 2024/25 Victorian budget revealed that a 96 per cent reduction had occurred in the levels of maintenance undertaken on regional roads.
The latest figures from the 2024/25 Victorian budget show that road resurfacing spending has dropped from $201.4 million in 2022-23 to $37.6 million in 2023-24.
Figures also show that for the 12 months to the end of June 2024 1,310 people died on Australian roads, representing a 11.7 per cent increase on the previous corresponding period.
In August last year State Minister for Roads and Roads Safety Melissa Horne announced that Moira Shire Council would take part in the first stage of the state government’s $210 million Safe Local Roads and Streets Program.
Councils would work closely with the Department of Transport and Planning as well as the Transport Accident Commission during the next four-years to identify, plan, develop and deliver road safety upgrades on local roads across Victoria.
The $210 million package will be used to design and construct safety upgrades including raised crossings, intersection upgrades, speed cushions, kerbing upgrades, pedestrian islands, safer speeds, roundabouts and other vital safety improvements.
Since that time, not much has been done.
Politicians representing the region have had their say on the disgraceful condition of our roads reiterating all levels of government need to rectify the issue.
Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy said the state of Victoria’s roads continues to be subpar with 91% of roads rated as poor or very poor in a survey the government conducted only last year.
“This follows the revelation that the road maintenance budget remains 16 per cent below 2020 levels, and a cut of $88 million from road safety funding,” Mr McCurdy said.
“The minister must have misread the data, as the actions taken this year are the exact opposite of what should have been taken.”
Mr McCurdy said 400 kilometres of roads are speed-reduced around the state, and road resurfacing will drop by 75 per cent next year.
“Over 2,000 Victorians lodged claims for vehicle damages due to shoddy roads,” he added.
“This is a very clear and calculated snub of regional Victorians like those living in the Ovens Valley.
“We have roads that have been knocked out for over six months, and some that are still damaged from the 2022 floods.
“Yet the current Victorian Government still continues to fund their expensive Cheltenham to Box Hill rail line to the tune of $35 billion.”
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell has had enough of poor road conditions in his electorate and is calling on residents to nominate a road or intersection in need of upgrades by completing a national road survey.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell said drivers across the electorate spend hours every week dodging potholes, reducing speeds on rough surfaces and too many people have had to replace their tyres.
“Within the first two years of the Albanese Labor Government, $27.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects have been cancelled, cut and delayed leaving local roads in desperate need of upgrades and repairs,” Mr Birrell said.
“So I’m calling on residents tonominate a road or intersection in need of upgrades by completing a national road survey which you can find on my website.
“Our region is an agricultural and transport hub and quality roads are key to that - it’s time the Labor Government invest in the industries that support thousands of jobs and drive Australia’s economy,” he said.
Retired Yarrawonga farmer Geoff Campbell made mention of previous Victorian Premier John Kennett’s promise about roads at the turn of the century, 24 years ago.
Mr Campbell, who was a councillor on the original Yarrawonga Shire, said councils across Victoria continue to be let down by our state leaders, with the three r’s including roads, not being administered.
“You go back to the beginning of amalgamations during Jeff Kennett’s time and he just simply said, he is going to amalgamate the shires but roads, rubbish and rates were the three important issues,” Mr Campbell said.
“They have seemed to have forgotten about roads, all we ever see is the pollies getting photos with the potholes, not going out and doing something for the local government with more money to help on that issue.”
Nationally, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Senator Bridget McKenzie concluded that a continuously unacceptable road toll suggests more could be done to improve road safety across Northeast Victoria.
Senator McKenzie said Victoria experienced a nine percent increase in road deaths over the 12-months to June 30.
“As the road toll has been rising steadily for the past two years, the Federal Government has cut funding from road infrastructure programs and failed to deliver on its promise of sharing road trauma data outcomes,” Senator McKenzie said.
“The failure to facilitate the timely, consistent, and open reporting of national road safety data since coming into government is preventing Australia from measuring its road safety problem, developing evidence-based responses, or evaluating effectiveness.
“At the same time, the road safety task is being made more difficult by the decision to cancel, cut, and delay more than $27.9 billion in infrastructure funding over the past two years.”
Moira Shire Council is leading the way in the state in its efforts to drastically improve road safety as council is actively working on a pilot program for road safety after recording the worst road toll in Victoria in 2023, with the cost of road trauma in the municipality, 332% higher than the state.
In March, then Moira Shire Chair Administrator John Tanner said this stark disparity underscores the disproportionate impact of road trauma on our community and highlights the urgent need for targeted road safety measures.
“All the issues as far as dangerous intersections, we're applying for funding for, like the Labaun Road (Strathmerton),” Mr Tanner said.
“Whilst that's a state government intersection we're assisting with advocating for all those issues and upgrades. “But on top of that, what we're trying to do is launch an engagement with the community on what we can do locally.”
Road users across the north east region can help shine a light on the appalling condition of local roads by taking part in a national road survey launched by the Coalition last month.
“By nominating a road, intersection or bridge in need of repair, north east Victorians can send the Albanese Labor Government a very clear message; Fix Our Roads,” Senator McKenzie said.
15°C