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Roads | March 27, 2019

Western Victorian drivers pay for Labor’s Transurban deal

Western Victorian motorists can’t get local pot holes fixed, but Daniel Andrews is shamelessly forcing them to pay for his West Gate Tunnel deal.

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP said drivers going into Melbourne via CityLink will take a hip pocket hit after the Andrews Labor Government signed a secretive deal with Transurban that will increase tolls to pay for the West Gate Tunnel.

The Parliamentary Budget Office has released a report into the West Gate Tunnel Project and CityLink tolls which estimates the deal struck by the Andrews Labor Government will cost motorists an extra $37.3 billion in tolls.

The analysis shows that $26.5 billion of that increase (around 71 per cent) will come exclusively from CityLink users – and that includes western Victorian drivers who use the tollway when travelling to and from the city via the West Gate or Tullamarine Freeways.

“Our local country roads are in appalling condition due to funding cuts by Labor yet the arrogant Premier for Melbourne is making us help pay for his new Melbourne tunnel,” Ms Kealy said.

“We can’t even get pot holes fixed on our crumbling country roads but under Daniel Andrews’ sneaky deal with Transurban, we’ll be forced to pay for city infrastructure we hardly use.

“This is hugely unfair, especially when the RACV has named western Victoria as having the worst roads in Victoria.

“It is gobsmacking that while refusing to fix our country roads Daniel Andrews is arrogantly slugging western Victorian drivers to pay for his Melbourne tunnel deal.

“Commercial vehicles already pay higher tolls, so any movement of fresh produce or freight that goes across the state via Melbourne will also cost more with Labor’s toll increases, and there will be a third commercial category added under this new deal.

“The last thing our farmers and regional businesses need is escalating costs, but that’s exactly what the Premier for Melbourne’s dodgy Transurban deal delivers.”