The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, is calling on people across his electorate to name its worst roads in a new campaign to identify the most dangerous hazards that are risking lives on our roads every day.
Mr Walsh said the statewide search launched today by the Liberal Nationals, is a three-month campaign to find Victoria’s worst roads from the people who know – the local drivers.
He said he is urging his constituents to submit road condition reports as they travel the region via an online portal in an effort to build a list of the roads most in need of maintenance.
“Decades of neglect have left our roads rough and potholed, risking the lives of motorcyclists, car drivers and truckies every single day,” Mr Walsh said.
“There have been 76 lives lost on Victorian roads already this year, but Labor is spending less on maintaining and repairing the state’s roads network,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the Andrews Labor Government has found more than $24 billion to pour into plugging its cost overruns on poorly managed major projects.
“If they put aside just $1 billion of the billions and billions of dollars they have wasted on overruns and delays on Melbourne projects, it would go a very long way towards making so many of our roads so much safer.”
Mr Walsh said only a change in Government in November will stop the waste and mismanagement, with a better-managed budget delivering savings that can contribute to reversing Labor’s cuts.
He said the Andrews Labor Government carved nearly $200 million from road asset maintenance in last year’s State Budget alone, a 25 per cent cut down to $616 million.
Since elected in 2014, Daniel Andrews and his government have also axed funds for targeted maintenance of local roads by abolishing the Country Roads and Bridges Program and disbanded the joint parliamentary committee that had overseen road safety since 1967.
“As drivers on our roads, you have an important role to play in exposing the problems,” Mr Walsh added.
“Instead of fixing roads that are falling apart, for regional electorates where it doesn’t give a damn, the Andrews Labor Government favours a cheap, band aid fix with lower speed limits,” he said.
“We’ll be seeking reports direct from local communities, councils, farmers and community groups as we search for Victoria’s worst roads.
“Fixing the maintenance backlog won’t be an easy task – as the Victorian Auditor-General says, poorly-maintained roads cost more to repair, cost motorists more in fuel and in vehicle repairs, on top of the safety risk.
“Properly maintained roads are safer roads. Only a change in government in November will stop Labor’s neglect as we work to recover and rebuild.”
To submit a road visit the online portal at vicsworstroad.vote