Victoria’s regional roads are in an appalling state with no real plan to fix them.
Open Letter to Minister for Roads and Road Safety
Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell has written an open letter to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ros Spence about the dangerous condition of regional roads in the state. Ms Lovell is retiring at the upcoming Victorian election where she will not recontest her seat.
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Dear Minister Spence,
I write to you regarding the critically dangerous condition of Victoria’s regional roads.
This situation has become so dire that it demands you act urgently to significantly increase investment in the road repair program, and ensure Victorians have the smooth and safe regional roads they deserve.
Over a decade of Labor neglect has left our road network with massive potholes, crumbling road edges, ripples and large cracks that have gone unrepaired for long periods. It is Victorian motorists who are suffering the consequences as large potholes damage their vehicles by smashing wheel rims and puncturing tyres.
Blowing out a tyre or swerving to avoid a damaged road surface can cause accidents, and the dangerous state of Victoria’s roads is putting lives at risk.
Recent wet weather has exposed the extent of deterioration on our roads. High rainfall has filled many deep potholes with water and hidden them from unsuspecting drivers, while heavy fog has reduced road visibility, leaving motorists unable to see and avoid hazards ahead.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ros Spence.
Photo by
Taylah Baker
Even our major highways in northern Victoria, including the Hume, Calder, Midland, Maroondah, Murray Valley and Goulburn Valley Highways, have fallen into a state of dangerous disrepair.
Many other state arterial roads also suffer from a lack of maintenance and are in desperate need of repair and full rehabilitation of the worst sections. These include, but are not limited to, Katamatite-Shepparton Road, Great Alpine Road, Echuca Road, Murchison-Tatura Road, Murray River Road and Benalla-Tocumwal Road. This list is not exhaustive, and my constituents have reported dozens more roads that require urgent attention.
The Labor Government abandoned its responsibility to carry out proper road maintenance over the past 12 years, and this year’s budget once again reduced the amount of road area that will be repaired.
Regional Victorians are disgusted with Labor’s city-centric approach that has left them behind. You must reverse the trend of Labor’s long-term underinvestment and significantly expand the road repair program.
