Ms Broad said she was shocked by the terrible state of the roads as she drove around northern Victoria.
“As I drive across the region, there are still many uneven roads with deep potholes in need of repair, and the only work done in the past 10 months is to put up signs reducing the speed limit to 40 and advising ‘rough surface’,” Ms Broad said.
The state Member for Northern Victoria said Victorians were required to drive roadworthy vehicles and the government had collected a record $2.5 billion from vehicle registration in the past year.
“We expect the state government to provide roads that are safe to drive on – but our roads are anything but safe,” she said.
“Hidden bumps and potholes are extremely dangerous for motorcyclists. In the last five years almost 200 motorcycle riders and pillion passengers have been killed on Victorian roads. Seventy-eight per cent were in regional Victoria.
“At a meeting of the Loddon Campaspe Group of Councils last week a point was made that just one overpass built in Melbourne would be enough to repair flood-damaged roads across the whole of the Loddon Shire.”
Ms Broad said two major state government road programs worth more than $750 million would only roll out in Labor seats.
The Road Blitz to get Families Home Sooner and Safer Scheme, and Delivering Better Local Roads program, would provide nice upgrades for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians in Melbourne, but in regional areas road upgrades were a necessity, she said.
“Everywhere I go in regional Victoria residents raise concerns about the poor condition of the roads. Yet Labor has cut the road maintenance funding by 45 per cent since 2020,” she said.
“It’s nearly 12 months since the floods, and while the state government powers ahead with their level crossing removals in the city, regional areas are still waiting for basic repairs to roads damaged by the floods.
“I ask the minister to prioritise repairs to flood-damaged roads, and to allocate more funding for road maintenance in rural and regional areas.”
