Tuesday, 14 May 2024

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (20:34): (885) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and concerns the deplorable state of the Pyrenees Highway between Glenthompson and Willaura. Regional Victoria is well used to potholes, so for one to make the front page of the local newspaper, it has to be something special. Last week’s Hamilton Spectator contains the alarming pictures, explaining:

The holes have reportedly been there several months, are only metres apart, almost take up the entire road, and are a VicRoads responsibility.

This is no surprise to residents. The recent budget papers reveal the area of our roads resurfaced and rehabilitated last year was down 90 per cent statewide and an incredible 96 per cent in regional areas. Nor did the Treasurer announce future funding to repair years of neglect. Road asset funding will be 16 per cent lower next year than four years ago. The environmental and economic cost is enormous, to say nothing of the deaths and injuries or the thousands of hours of life wasted by regional Victorians on speed-limited, damaged roads. Back on the Pyrenees Highway the holes have been there so long that the ‘Traffic hazard ahead’ sign has been repainted more descriptively by an enterprising local as ‘Something big hole’. I cannot use the phrase here, but you can imagine what it might be. My constituent Jason Bendeich does a terrific job of cataloguing and reporting the most serious hazards and following up with the relevant authorities to ensure action is taken. Sadly, it often is not. In fact Jason reported this issue in April, before the newspaper headlines, and on ringing back this week has been told that not only is the hole unfilled but his complaint was not even logged. As he says:

… only 10% of roads have received crucial work such as resheeting and rehabilitation and … the prospect of a wet winter will only see the roads deteriorate once again …

He also says:

No other jurisdiction in the country would treat their major highways with such neglect.

…

I have been very vocal in my opposition to the Suburban Rail Loop taking precedence over our vital roads in rural and regional Victoria.

Western Victoria ends at the SA border, not at Melton.

Hear, hear! The action I seek from the minister is a detailed demonstration of how Labor’s wasteful Suburban Rail Loop project can possibly be achieved without letting regional Victoria’s roads fall further into rack and ruin.