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Roads | April 13, 2018

Kealy – quick fix of Harrow-Balmoral Road not good enough!

The Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy MP has congratulated the local community on their efforts to have urgent repairs undertaken to the dangerous Harrow-Balmoral Road, but says more needs to be done to ensure the safety of local road users.

The Harrow-Balmoral Road is a school bus and major freight route. Regular use by heavy logging vehicles has seen the road surface continue to deteriorate with numerous sections literally washing away. There are also many blind corners and very narrow shoulders.

Ms Kealy has been actively lobbying the Minister for Roads to have urgent road safety improvements undertaken on the Harrow-Balmoral Road since 2016.

“The enormous community response and support for my facebook post was obviously enough to embarrass the Minister into doing a quick fix on this dangerous road but it needs a full repair,” Ms Kealy said.

“It shouldn’t take a post on social media going viral to get the Andrews Labor Government to realise this potential death trap needed to be fixed.

“The Minister has known about this road for over 18 months but has done nothing until enough community pressure was applied to make him act.

“The RACV has named western Victoria as having the worst roads in the State.

“It is simply not good enough that our roads are so poorly maintained that locals are forced to put their lives at risk when going about their daily routine, doing a job they love, taking the kids to school or going to footy or netball training.

“Daniel Andrews and his Labor Government must reverse their extensive cuts to the country roads budget and reinstate The Nationals $160 million Country Roads and Bridges Program.

“Daniel Andrews must immediately fix our country roads and save country lives,” she said.