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Roads | April 27, 2018

A patch job doesn’t make up for Daniel Andrews’ neglect of country roads

The Premier for Melbourne is playing catch up after three years of short-changing western Victoria on funding to fix country roads, Emma Kealy Member for Lowan has said.

This week, the Andrews Labor Government announced a Fixing Country Roads fund for regional and rural councils over two years.

Emma Kealy MP said Labor was offering local councils scraps off the table after three years of neglect.

“Labor axed the successful $160 million Country Roads and Bridges Program three years ago, only to now offer a smaller fund and for a shorter amount of time,” Ms Kealy said.

“Daniel Andrews has utterly failed to deliver for our community and simply can’t be trusted.

“This is the same Premier for Melbourne who decided to spend rural roads funds around his suburban electorate of Mulgrave, instead of in country Victoria,” she said.

There are many examples of deteriorated roads right across the Lowan electorate which has been reported as having some the worst roads in the state.

Emma Kealy MP said local motorists deserve better than we get under the Premier for Melbourne.

“Last week, The Nationals announced that if elected in November we’d fully restore the $160 million Country Roads and Bridges Program that was axed by Daniel Andrews,” Ms Kealy said.

“Only an elected Nationals government will invest in regional Victoria so we can decentralise our population and economy and grow all our communities – not just Melbourne.

“Only the Nationals will get regional Victoria moving,” she said.