We say the Victorian Coalition’s $5b funding commitment to fix Victorian’s crumbling roads is a step in the right direction, but warns much more is needed to fix Victoria’s road network.
VFF President Ryan Milgate said the commitment recognised the deplorable state of our road network and the urgent need for substantial investment to get them fixed.
“Any commitment to increase funding for road maintenance and rebuilding is sorely needed and very welcome. Farmers, transport operators and regional communities rely on safe, reliable roads every single day, and we’ve been calling for governments of all persuasions to reverse a generation of neglect and make fixing our road network a priority,” Mr Milgate said.
The VFF also welcomed the Coalition’s commitment to establish Better Roads Victoria, saying a dedicated body focused on road maintenance could help restore confidence in the state’s road network. It is important however that the vast majority of the funding is actually used to fix our roads and not tied up in red-tape and middle management.
“There’s no glossing over that there’s a massive task ahead. A dedicated Better Roads Victoria is a positive step, but it must operate transparently, provide clear public reporting on the condition of Victoria’s roads, and deliver an honest plan to get them back on track,” Mr Milgate said.
While welcoming this announcement, the VFF says the overall funding commitment still fell short of what regional stakeholders have identified as necessary to reverse years of underinvestment.
“In April, the VFF joined with six regional advocacy organisations representing local government, freight, transport and regional communities to call for an additional $2 billion over four years for Victoria’s roads. That represented around a 50 per cent uplift on current funding levels and reflected the scale of the challenge before us.”
“This commitment is a significant milestone in the advocacy of the VFF and our regional partners, but it still falls short of the investment needed to properly rebuild Victoria’s crumbling road network.”
“We see this as step in the right direction on what is an extremely big job to fix Victoria’s crumbling roads mess.”
“Keeping Victorians safe on our roads is a non-negotiable. Every Victorian depends on our road network, whether it’s getting children to school, moving freight, accessing healthcare or transporting food from farm to market.”
“We encourage all political parties to continue building on this announcement as we head towards the November election. Regional Victoria deserves a long-term commitment that matches the scale of the problem,” Mr Milgate said.
Mr Milgate also encouraged regional motorists to support the VFF’s ‘regional road reporting blitz’ by reporting potholes and road hazards.
“The response has been overwhelming and it goes to show how bad our roads have become.”
“Every report helps demonstrate the true condition of Victoria’s roads and strengthens the case for the investment our regional communities need. We encourage anyone who comes across a pothole or dangerous stretch of road to report it through calling 13 11 70, the VicRoads website or the Snap Send Solve app. The more evidence we have, the stronger the case we can make to all sides of politics that Victoria’s roads need fixing,” Mr Milgate said.