Thursday, 18 April 2024

Rural and regional roads

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (17:35): (836) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. I rise to speak on an alarming statistic, with 480 regional roads subject to speed limit reductions or warning signs due to their poor condition. These reductions highlight the extent of neglect and underinvestment in maintaining our road infrastructure, posing significant risks to motorists and hindering economic productivity. The action I seek is for the government to allocate a critical maintenance regional road funding program to establish permanent repair crews based in regional areas. The deterioration of the state’s roads is a serious threat to public safety and economic prosperity. Lowering speed limits on regional roads is only a bandaid solution and fails to address underlying issues caused by years of neglect and funding cuts to road maintenance.

It is time to prioritise road safety and the wellbeing of all Victorians. There needs to be immediate and decisive action to overhaul the road maintenance program, allocating sufficient resources to address the backlog of repairs to ensure the long-term sustainability of our road network. Victoria’s function as Australia’s largest food and fibre exporter is at risk as our regional roads crumble. Our ability to efficiently get produce from the paddock to export markets is being impeded by our second-rate country road infrastructure. Let us not forget the continuing neglect and mismanagement by this government, with over $38 billion in cost blowouts on major projects and $600 million on cancelling the Commonwealth Games. I ask the minister to consider establishing permanent repair crews based in regional areas, as suggested by the Victorian Transport Association, as a step in addressing the volume of work and the depth of issues plaguing our regional roads. The critical funding program would support local government efforts to maintain our local roads. Again, I ask the minister to consider this proposal.