Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (12:55): I rise to echo the comments in the Warrnambool Standard on Saturday 18 February which called on this government to come clean on what is or is not happening with the Princes Highway west of Geelong. The new dual-lane carriageway, which has not even been officially opened yet, is absolutely crumbling to the point where most motorists can no longer travel in the left-hand carriageway because it is in such poor condition. People are finding they have to travel the whole time in the right-hand lane rather than the left-hand lane as they should do safely. This road is becoming perilously unsafe. On top of that of course the Warrnambool Standard is advocating big-time for the fixing up and the provision of overtaking lanes and better road services west of Colac, where it is still a dual-lane road. This government promised to the Warrnambool Standard only last year that it had funds put aside and it was going to improve road surfaces and passing opportunities for motorists. In correspondence to the Warrnambool Standard in the past month they have reneged on that, saying it is not their responsibility and they are in fact waiting for the federal government.

We know the Albanese federal government has in fact withdrawn tens of millions of dollars from western Victorian road funding and of course is now trying to give the Andrews government an out on why they are not going to fix the roads up. The roads have been left in a perilous state after the last winter. We are going into another winter shortly. Not one cent has been spent, and the motorists of western Victoria deserve much better.