The safety of Mallee drivers is being compromised by Labor’s poor management of regional road repairs, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says.

“In its October budget the Albanese Labor Government stripped $60 million from the Black Spot Road Safety program over the forward estimates and deferred more than $280 million in Road Safety Program funding originally scheduled for this year,” Dr Webster said.

“Meanwhile Labor have put the Roads 2 Recovery Program – initially started under the Howard Government in 2001 – and the Black Spot program under its 90-day infrastructure review razor gang and has not funded the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

“Regional road maintenance is crucial for families to get home safely, and these programs have been essential for local councils to fund them, yet Labor is happy to watch regional roads go to ruin.”

In addition, at the State level, $120 million has been slashed Victoria’s road resurfacing budget due to urgent works required for roads impacted by the 2022 floods. No additional funding has been allocated, and basic maintenance funding will not be available, therefore kicking the can for road maintenance down the road.

“The roads in Mallee are among some of the most dangerous in the State, yet the Andrews Labor Government refuses to put any extra money into repair,” Dr Webster said.

“I regularly drive the length and breadth of the electorate and see first-hand the state of roads that constituents are forced to use every day – the state of the roads beggars belief.

The Central Goldfields Shire was the only Mallee LGA to benefit from a recent State Government local road safety funding that targets safety measures mostly within town limits rather than hazardous potholes and surfaces on rural roads.

In Mallee, the Western Highway, Murray Valley Highway, Loddon Valley Highway, Calder Highway, Sunraysia Highway, Pyrenees Highway, Leitchville-Kerang Road and the Maryborough-Dunolly Road rank among the State’s worst.

“Many of these roads were in disrepair well before late last year’s floods but the Victorian Government has refused to act in a timely way, and local council budgets are already stretched thin,” Dr Webster said.

“It is another black mark on Labor’s record at both State and Federal level on focussing on city voters and leaving the regions out in the cold.”