Northern Victoria Region
Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (12:51): (1561) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety to provide adequate funding for bridge and road maintenance and upgrades in the coming state budget. Many of our regional roads and bridges pose a significant safety risk, and many bridges are in need of upgrade or repair. The Calder Highway, for example, is gazetted for 85.5-tonne vehicles, yet the Bridgewater bridge has only a 72-tonne weight limit, restricting the efficiency of grain transport. Without targeted funding, ageing infrastructure will continue to add cost and time to freight, further driving up living costs. Rural councils like Loddon shire are burdened with extensive road networks and limited resources and struggle to maintain infrastructure. The disparity in funding between urban and rural areas is stark, with rural councils in northern Victoria generating significantly less revenue compared to metropolitan councils. I also visited residents in Ravenswood recently, who highlighted the number of dangerous near misses that regularly occur along this major road.