Thursday, 10 September 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (10:09): Having travelled across the vast majority of Victoria’s rural shires and regional cities, I have seen firsthand the urgent need for more investment in local roads and bridges. At the Rural Councils Victoria annual forum in Swan Hill, I announced our commitment to restoring the country roads and bridges program. Labor axed the original program, leaving country councils to carry the cost of maintaining local roads and bridges on small ratepayer bases. We will bring it back bigger and better. This upgraded $288 million program will see each of Victoria’s 48 rural and regional councils receive $1.5 million in untied funding a year for four years. This will provide councils with funding certainty and allow them to determine which road and bridge projects are the highest priorities in their communities, rather than forcing them to compete for limited funding through a complex grants process. This program builds on our previous commitments, including our 25 per cent fair share guarantee and our $5 billion investment to repair and rebuild Victoria’s roads, and re-establish a proper planned system of preventative road maintenance. The Liberals and Nationals have listened, and a Wilson-led government will help councils get the basics right across rural and regional Victoria.