The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says it will come as no surprise to people in Campaspe Shire that parts of the Murray Valley Hwy have been named amongst Victoria’s most dangerous in a statewide survey.
Mr Walsh says it joins roads such as the Echuca-Mitiamo Rd, Prairie-Rochester Rd and the Echuca-Kyabram Rd, which were also highlighted by complaints to the survey.
He says travelling too many local roads is like being in a pinball machine, as you ricochet from one side of the road to the other trying to dodge massive potholes while avoiding collapsed shoulders.
“Just look at the Echuca road to Kyabram and its 80km/h signs that have been there longer than anyone can remember because the Andrews Labor Government knows they are not safe and is trying to hide that behind slower speeds,” Mr Walsh says.
“Thousands of votes were lodged from around the state. Respondents highlighted the poor state of local road surfaces right across the shire – as well as in the wider areas of my electorate,” he says.
“But what would be the real joke here – but can’t ever be because we are talking life and death – is Roads Minister Ben Carroll having the gall to stand up in the Parliament and insist the state’s roads are smoother and safer.
“Then, even worse, his Labor colleague, the Member for Eltham, backed him by accusing us of ‘imagined fantasy’ with our concerns about the state’s roads – but’s it’s not just us, we were swamped with complaints from the general public.”
Mr Walsh says the poll results will be forwarded to Ben Carroll’s to demonstrate Labor’s failures.
He says Labor cut the road maintenance budget by 10 per cent in its first year; and has been neglecting our roads ever since.
“That budget was cut by a further $24 million in this year’s figures, after a massive $191 million chop last year. On top of this they have scrapped the Country Roads and Bridges funding program as well,” Mr Walsh says.
“We’re seeing the result of these cuts in poor roads that are unsafe for drivers right around the state,” he says.
The top 10 worst roads in Victoria:
- Great Alpine Road
- Princes Highway (various locations)
- Melbourne-Lancefield Road
- Traralgon-Maffra Road
- Paynesville Road
- Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road
- Heathcote-Nagambie Road
- Murray Valley Highway (various locations)
- Western Freeway (various locations)
- Jerusalem Creek Road