The Nationals Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP says regional Victoria has reached a fork in the road after three years of utter neglect of the road network under the Albanese and Allan Labor Governments, adding that an incoming Coalition government would put Mallee roads back on track.

“Mallee residents all over the length and breadth of the 83,412 km² that I drive tell me the roads are downright dangerous, carrying heavy trucks with huge potholes and crumbling roadsides. They confirm what I know to be true.”

“The Coalition will back our farming and resources sectors by investing $600 million nationwide in agricultural and mining roads critical to getting product to domestic and export markets,” Dr Webster said.

“We will establish a new Ag and Mining Roads program to make it easier to transport products from farms and mines to supermarket shelves and exporters.

The Coalition’s program will be delivered over four years and will invest in sealing, widening and strengthening roads, highways and bridges, building flood immunity and resilience upgrades. The Coalition will work with representatives of the trucking, farming and mining industries to identify the priority roads to be upgraded in each state to remove barriers to the growth of our farming and resources sectors.

In contrast, the Albanese Labor Government has cancelled, cut and delayed more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects across Australia.

“A Dutton-Littleproud government will also reinstate the 80:20 federal funding model for nationally significant road projects in regional and remote Australia, ensuring more regional roads and highways get upgraded,” Dr Webster said.

“Everywhere we look in Mallee we see Labor at federal and state levels making the funding criteria prohibitive, at 50:50 ratios, preventing councils getting their roads repaired.”

In a cost cutting measure after Labor’s ‘90 day’ infrastructure review (which ran for over 200 days), the Prime Minister reduced federal funding commitments for regional road infrastructure to 50:50, to match the urban funding model.

“Labor has abolished infrastructure programs that were established to assist our truckies in their freight task including Roads of Strategic Importance, the Bridges Renewal Program and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program,” Dr Webster said.

“Only a Coalition Government has the back of the nine million Australians who live outside our capital cities and that is why we will restore the 80 per cent Commonwealth funding rule for all new road projects from the first day we are elected.”

“Labor has cut the Federal funding contribution for roads of national significance from $4 down to $1 for every dollar a state government invests in these roads. That means for instance that the Western Highway has seen a reduction in federal government funding for improving and maintaining that vital highway under Labor.

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