Regional lives are at risk with the Labor Government falling 25 per cent short of its road repair target, as revealed today in the Department of Transport and Planning’s latest annual report.
The report states that the Government only treated 9 million square metres of rural and regional roads – 25.6 per cent down on its 2022-23 target of 12.14 million square metres – but hit its targets in suburban roads.
Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O’Brien, said the failure to meet this target was a consequence of ongoing cuts to the road maintenance budget.
“Regional Victorians don’t need an annual report to tell them Labor has abandoned our crumbling roads. They see it every day,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Our regional roads are in an appalling state and a 45 per cent cut to the road maintenance budget since 2020, including a further 25 per cent cut in this year’s budget, is hurting Victorian motorists.
“We know our roads are in a dire state, yet this tired Labor Government is cutting road maintenance funding and falling short of its own road repair target. It beggars belief.”
In August, it was also revealed there would be virtually no Victorian road resurfacing program in the coming financial year with no contracts for road resurfacing going to tender.
Mr O’Brien said this only signals that regional roads will continue to deteriorate.
“Without a sufficient resurfacing and resealing program that can meet appropriate targets, the deterioration of our roads will only accelerate,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The budget papers released in May listed the road area to be resurfaced across metropolitan and regional Victoria as “tbc”. It seems they just meant ‘terribly bad condition’.”
