The VFF says the lack of basic road maintenance is a major factor behind the sobering results highlighted in the RACV’s ‘My Country Road’ survey.
The annual survey identified regional potholes and road conditions as the number one safety concern across Victorian roads and VFF President Emma Germano said it’s further proof the government must introduce a plan to fix our crumbling roads.
“Regional Victorians more than anyone know their roads are wrecked and the total lack of road maintenance is a huge reason why.”
“In the past year, government spending on resurfacing and resealing roads has dropped by 81 per cent. Not only does that condemn our roads to ruin, it’s also a very real safety hazard that regional Victorians face every day,” Ms Germano said.
Ms Germano said the condition of Victoria’s roads is having a direct impact on the cost to produce food.
“Transporters are having to use longer alternative routes to avoid dangerous roads. That adds significant cost to farmers and consumers in being able to get produce to market.”
“The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found food inflation was being driven by a range of price pressures including supply chain disruptions and increased transport costs the Australian agricultural industry $5.8 billion each year. This often accounts for the single largest cost for some commodities such as grain.”
Ms Germano said in a recent submission to the government’s Refresh of the Victorian Freight Strategy, the VFF outlined a plan to fix the state’s crumbling road network.
“The undeniable neglect of our regional roads is a result of the previous freight strategy never identifying maintenance as a priority. If they focus on maintaining what we’ve got, not only will we have better roads, the spiralling cost of fixing the mess will be much less.”
“The state of our regional roads is an utter and dangerous mess. All Victorians are paying the price for inaction and the government must act before it gets any worse,” Ms Germano said.