Roads in Wannon are deteriorating, but Labor continues to refuse to assist until July next year.
Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, said Wannon has been waiting 18 months for the Albanese Government to help with the costs of fixing potholes and Labor’s scheme is too little too late.
I have heard from many people throughout Wannon who have had tyres shredded, wheels misaligned, and accidents over the past 18 months. My social media pages and inbox have been filled with horror stories of crumbling and unsafe roads,” Mr Tehan said.
“The deterioration of our roads largely due to prolonged wet weather and floods last year has created millions of potholes leading to accidents and serious damage to vehicles. Recent rain has only made the situation worse. Action and adequate road funding needed to be taken more than a year ago.
“This is an ongoing complaint from people across Wannon – and all we have is a vague political promise to ‘gradually’ lift funding and deliver projects over the next four years.”
“Prevention is always cheaper than repair. If the Albanese Government were serious about saving lives on our roads, they would have assisted councils last year, or at the very least now.
“Labor’s road funding policies won’t even fill the pothole funding gap faced by councils for the foreseeable future.
“Labor has been cutting and delaying road projects since it was elected, and corridors are worse now under the Albanese Government.”
238 lives have been lost on Victorian roads from January this year.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie, said Labor has been slow to respond decisively to rising nationwide road tolls.
“Every day our roads remain in disrepair is another day Australian drivers risk their lives to get home safely to their loved ones,” Senator McKenzie said.
“1,247 Australians have lost their lives on our roads over the last year to 31 October, an increase of 6.5 per cent on the previous year.
“There are questions about the Albanese Government’s commitment to road safety when they refuse to join the Coalition in committing to making access to road safety data held by the state and territory governments a mandatory element of road funding agreements.”
On Tuesday, Senator McKenzie launched stoplaborscuts.com.au, where you can submit your area’s worst potholes to Prime Minister Albanese.
“I encourage all those in my community who are fed up with the dire state of our roads to submit their worst roads to the website and show the Albanese Government what we’re dealing with.”
“Labor’s failure to take action on roads now shows how out of touch the government has been when it comes to regional road funding while they have been distracted by the Voice referendum,” Mr Tehan said.
Residents in Wannon can lodge their potholes at https://www.stoplaborscuts.com.au/
