Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (14:48): Potholes, degrading roads, dangerous roads. This Labor government has failed. The condition of roads has deteriorated after 11 long years of the Allan Labor government’s cuts to road maintenance funding, leaving motorists dodging potholes and driving on roads that resemble goat tracks. The Department of Transport and Planning’s annual report shows that major patching works on outer metropolitan roads saw a staggering 73 per cent drop last financial year – a 73 per cent drop in pothole patching. And doesn’t my community know it? Just look at Maroondah Highway through Lilydale, Coldstream and Gruyere; Hull Road, Mooroolbark; York Road, Mount Evelyn; Melba Highway, Yering; Monbulk-Seville Road, Seville; Warburton Highway through Lilydale, Wandin and Seville; and the list goes on. My question to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety is: what road patching and maintenance projects have been completed in the Evelyn electorate for the last year and are planned for next year to ensure the safety of locals and tourists in my region?