The State Member for Northern Victoria, state Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad has called the condition of regional roads a mess and said local councils are hampered by red tape.
Ms Broad said councils are struggling to get funding to fix them following extensive flood damage and are reporting multiple layers of frustrating red tape as they try to access appropriate funding.
As the interim report from the Victorian upper house’s inquiry into the 2022 floods was tabled, Ms Broad said it was vital to reflect on what had happened and what could be done better.
“Eighteen months on, many regional councils are still wound up in red tape, draining staff resources in completing hundreds of pages of paperwork and trying to prove flood damage,” she said.
“Around 1,000 kilometres of roads were impacted by the 2022 floods and local councils are battling to keep their heads above water.”
Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety Danny O’Brien said the information from local councils was deeply concerning.
“This appalling situation comes on the back of recent figures showing a staggering 91 per cent of Victorian roads have been classified as ‘poor or very poor’.
“The Allan Labor Government has reduced road maintenance funding by 45% over the past three years, and the result is the appalling state of our roads, particularly in regional areas.
“Labor can’t manage money and regional Victorians are paying the price on our roads.”
However, a Victorian Government spokesperson has responded to the claims of neglect saying such claims are misleading.
“It’s disappointing, but not surprising that the Liberals and Nationals continue to misrepresent our investment in road maintenance across the state,” the spokesperson said.
“Over the past year we’ve invested more than $770 million to road maintenance, which is equivalent to more than $2 million every day.