Thursday, 17 August 2023

Eastern Victoria Region roads

Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:27): (247) My question today is for the minister representing the minister for roads in the other place. Minister, in this year’s budget the government announced $780 million for regional roads but has not released any detail. In my electorate of Eastern Victoria, the state of so many roads is so bad that Google Maps will soon be giving names to the potholes and listing them as features of significance. Can the minister please provide details of which roads in Eastern Victoria the government is going to fix so that residents can make decisions about whether to name their local potholes or can start to look forward to not seeing them?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Equality) (12:27): Thank you, Mr Bourman, for that question. I will pass that on to the minister in the other place and secure a response for you in accordance with the standing orders.

Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:27): I thank the minister for forwarding that on. Minister, the towns of Drouin and Warragul in my electorate are bursting at the seams, as they are areas where ordinary Victorians can get affordable housing. Road infrastructure is seriously lagging behind. Can the minister please advise what plans are in place to build arterial roads to take the pressure off working families in Drouin and Warragul?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Equality) (12:28): Thanks, Mr Bourman, for that supplementary question. Noting that the first question related to the condition of roads and the second question related to population growth in Drouin and Warragul and the request for infrastructure upgrades, it may well be that there is a broad-ranging answer that you are looking for. What I will do is seek an answer for you on that supplementary question as it relates to Drouin and Warragul and to that planning and infrastructure and have that provided to you in accordance with the standing orders.