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Roads Speeches | September 19, 2017

Members statements - Regional and rural roads

Victorian Parliament - 19 September 2017 - Ms KEALY (Lowan) — I urge the Minister for Roads and Road Safety to address the critical state of our region’s roads, which are riddled with potholes and broken and eroded edges. Since Labor came to power in Victoria, all we have seen is more money directed to Melbourne and barely any attention given to our country roads. The Premier’s recent decision to cut country speed limits rather than fix our roads is yet another example of country people getting treated like second‑class citizens by Labor. Lowering speed limits is merely a bandaid measure and an admission that under Labor our roads are getting worse and are now at a critical point of danger for our local people.

Complaints from concerned residents are increasing as our roads deteriorate, whether it be a near miss due to having to swerve to avoid a pothole on the Glenelg Highway at Muntham Hill, on the Henty Highway near Warracknabeal, at the Murtoa turn‑off to the Wimmera Highway or between Hamilton and Horsham. A motorbike rider recently hit a pothole near Rainbow, which caused a serious accident with the rider lucky to survive. Enough is enough. Our lives are at risk. Labor must stop ignoring our country road network and fix our roads.