Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Rural and regional roads

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (09:56): We are only 36 days into 2025, and already five people have lost their lives on south-west Victorian roads. The tragic reality is you are more than three times likely to lose your life when driving on country roads compared to driving in Melbourne. These are our friends, family and loved ones. The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) said:

Victorians are paying for years of roads neglect with their lives as regional Victoria’s road toll soars.

The Allan Labor government needs to stop ignoring how frightful the roads have become. Regional Victorians pay their taxes too, and regional Victorians matter. No-one denies that the road toll is exacerbated by speeding, fatigue, distraction and impairment. However, like the VFF said, it is difficult to ignore the terrible road conditions and the likelihood that they are a large contributing factor. I call upon the government to urgently address major funding shortfalls to rectify our country roads. Not doing so, the Labor government only condemns our roads to ruin. Sadly, that is now a reality. Currently drivers are playing a daily game of road roulette. If we accept this road toll as the price for getting from A to B in the regions, then another 2500 regional people will die in the next 10 years and 50,000 regional people will be hospitalised with serious and life-changing injuries. The price we pay for using regional roads should not be death or serious injury.