We say the Victorian Government’s announcement of $1.04 billion for road repairs and resurfacing fails to deliver the level of investment required to fix the Victoria’s deteriorating road network.
VFF Acting President Peter Star said while any funding boost is welcome, the package largely reflects rising costs and does little to address the growing backlog of road maintenance across regional Victoria.
“This funding is only just keeping pace with inflation, meaning it represents a continuation of inadequate investment rather than a meaningful shift.”
“Victoria’s regional roads are crumbling and this package is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. What we need is sustained funding that goes towards actually fixing the issue, not merely patching up a worsening problem.”
“It’s at the point where this is more than a maintenance issue. Many rural roads are at best, safety hazards and at worse, death traps. We need this fixed before tragedy sadly strikes again,” Mr Star said.
The VFF has been working alongside other rural advocates to call for an additional $500 million per year in road funding to properly address the scale of the problem.
“This announcement misses the mark by almost $500 million annually. Even then, our ask was only a step in the right direction toward fixing a network that underpins Victoria’s agricultural productivity and regional communities.”
“Theres’s no doubt our sub-standard regional road network is putting a hand-brake on our regional economy.”
The VFF is calling on the Victorian Government to reconsider its funding levels and commit to a long-term, sustainable solution that meets the needs of regional Victorians and the agricultural sector.