MS BATH — To ask the Minister for Employment (for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety):
(1592) My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. One of the main issues that my constituents raise with me is the perilous and dangerous state of our regional roads—botched repairs, disintegrating shoulders and unsafe surfaces. Constituents regularly raise the fact that they do not want speed limits lowered; they want proper road maintenance. One example: a constituent recently spoke to me about the Hyland Highway and a location between Loy Yang and Traralgon. It has been patched three times in the last 12 months and is still falling to pieces. Anywhere you drive in my Eastern Victoria electorate you see multiple examples of this. So my constituent asked me to ask the minister: when will this government adequately fund our regional roads so that we can protect freight, we can get people, tourists and families around safely and we can save country lives?
Answered: 24 February 2022
I thank the Member for her question. Our transport network is vital in connecting Victorians to work, study and each other. The Victorian Government’s unprecedented $80 billion investment in transport infrastructure over the past six years has supported this network like never before, delivering more reliable connections, improving the safety of users, and supporting thousands of jobs.
Crucially, regional Victoria has been at the heart of our efforts, with the creation of Regional Roads Victoria and record investment to repair, restore and maintain Victoria’s regional road network. This includes record levels of investment in road maintenance, with a significant portion dedicated funding to upgrade bridges and improve access on our regional road network.
The Hyland Highway itself has been a significant beneficiary of this investment, with more than $10 million funded to improve this important freight and tourist route. This has seen significant upgrades already completed at the Grand Ridge Road intersection, with investment continuing in the future with upgrades to the Carrajung-Woodside Road intersection and other safety improvements in the pipeline. These works will ensure the Hyland Highway remains an important route for the freight and tourism industries.
In addition, Regional Roads Victoria’s dedicated maintenance crews are continuing to respond to the maintenance needs of all our roads, working tirelessly to routinely inspect the entire road network, program repair works and respond to hazards to ensure our roads remain safe and operational for all road users.
The Hon Ben Carroll MP
Minister for Public Transport
Minister for Roads and Road Safety
