Road projects across Wannon continue to be put at risk by the Albanese Labor Government’s decision to have a razor gang review funding for Victorian infrastructure projects.
In disturbing revelations in Senate Estimates, the Roads to Recovery program, Bridges Renewal Program, Black Spot Program, and the Heavy Vehicle Safety & Productivity Program are also at risk of being axed under the Albanese Labor Government’s 90-day infrastructure pipeline review.
Locally at risk is the funding of over $77 million under the Roads to Recovery program, whilst the Black Spot Program has delivered improvements across the electorate along with the Bridges Renewal program delivering 23 Bridge replacements.
These programs have a strong legacy, some commencing as early as 1996, and have made Wannon roads safer for decades. Programs like the road safety Black Spot Program and Roads to Recovery provide critical funding that has given road users in Wannon and their families greater peace of mind for decades.
These programs are designed to help reduce vehicle accidents, eliminate dangerous sections of roads and supplement councils’ road funding.
Local councils across regional Australia, including our local councils in Wannon, are now being thrown into uncertainty with flow-on effects on local contractors, businesses, and communities.
Our local councils depend on this funding to upgrade and maintain our local roads, intersections, and highways.
These programs support local priorities in country communities to fund much-needed upgrades for tens of thousands of kilometres of roads and have never been at risk under previous Labor governments.
It is beyond belief that further funding cuts could be made to our roads putting motorists at risk, roads which are already in a state of disrepair as we head into winter again. Even with some of the autumn rain, we are seeing more potholes appearing and reappearing where roads have been repaired.
We need - as a matter of urgency - funding for our roads.
It becomes clearer every day that creating jobs, driving economic growth, and the road safety of regional and rural communities into the future is not a priority for the Albanese Labor Government.
