Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (19:08): (2103) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. It relates to issues around Maryborough and the certainty over the VicRoads there. That is what locals are looking for: certainty. We know that an agreement has been reached between the Central Goldfields shire and VicRoads to provide services to local community, and I commend the Central Goldfields shire for securing this agreement. I also commend David Hendrickson from R U Safe Driving School, along with the hundreds of concerned locals that have campaigned on this day in, day out for probably close to a couple of months now.

I do not actually understand how it could have got to this point in the first place. The fact that cutting services in Maryborough was even considered for Labor’s chopping block has to have a big question mark over it. When locals have asked the member for Ripon, she has largely just regurgitated government lines on the matter, failing to advocate for locals. In the end her contribution has largely been irrelevant. When asked how long the current arrangement runs for, she said, ‘How long is a piece of string?’ That is code for: she does not have a clue. Locals really need clarity around this because they want to know their service is going to be there for the long term. It is a risk that creates unease with locals. It would be absolutely insane to expect locals to drive to places like Bendigo or Ballarat, which are over an hour away, just to get a licence photo or to get their P-plates.

We are talking about basic government services here, and that is the risk if VicRoads is not secured for the long term in Maryborough. It is not like locals are asking for anything above and beyond. We are talking about simple services that most Victorians, in fact every Victorian, should have access to and indeed should expect. I have attended community meetings, a car parade and a public rally to show my support. We on our side of the chamber will always support country Victorians to get the services that they need.

My question to the minister is this: will you guarantee that Maryborough locals will have access to the full suite of VicRoads services for the long term, not just in the lead-up to the next state election? Will you publicly release the documents which detail the arrangements that have been reached so the community of Maryborough can have certainty going forward? The government owes Maryborough an explanation, and it is about time some simple, plain-speaking honesty was delivered.