Thursday, 23 March 2023

 Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (14:35): (106) My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads. My question is: when will the government execute a plan to fix and adequately maintain the roads through the state’s north-west that are carrying billions of dollars worth of product and tens of thousands of families? My region is responsible for around $10 billion annually in economic output, according to REMPLAN. That is a lot of taxes to the state’s coffers. So why has the Robinvale-Sea Lake Road, after being allocated $10 million in the 2020 budget, still not been completed and, in places where work has occurred, melted in our Mallee summer – when it gets over 30 degrees – and washed away in spring rains? Why has there been no action on the Birchip-Rainbow Road, the Boort-Wycheproof Road, the Hattah-Robinvale Road, the Donald-Murtoa Road and the Donald-Stawell Road? These roads are classed as C-class roads, and that is clearly how the government views our citizens, those who are producing your food – as C-class citizens. If that is not the case, when can we see works to fix our regional roads?