Tuesday, 2 December 2025

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) presented a petition bearing 1183 signatures:

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that the Central Goldfields Shire Council (Council) is currently reviewing the future of the Maryborough VicRoads agency service, following a change by VicRoads to its funding model. This service has operated in Maryborough as a sub-office, hosted and administered by Council for many years, providing a comprehensive suite of services including driver licence testing and vehicle inspections. VicRoads has previously reimbursed the Council for all costs associated with this service, including staff wages, rent, utilities and cleaning. VicRoads wrote to the Council in April 2025, advising that the funding model would change from 1 July 2025 to a transaction-based model. At the Council’s request, an interim hybrid funding model was introduced to enable a full review of the service and its sustainability. The service is due to end on 31 October 2025. This new model would force the closure of the Maryborough VicRoads office. It’s not possible for a small rural council to subsidise a VicRoads service at a cost to ratepayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to reverse the new VicRoads funding model and ensure that all services currently provided by the Maryborough VicRoads office remain.

Bev McARTHUR: I move:

That the petition be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.