Victorian Roads and Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll has defended the Victorian Government’s spending on regional roads while promoting a program that aims to reduce the state’s road toll.
Mr Carroll launched the 2022 Transport Accident Commission Club Rewards Program at Shepparton East Football Netball Club on Wednesday, May 18.
The program is in partnership with the TAC and AFL Victoria and rewards football and netball clubs that promote road safety messages among their members, with monetary grants to improve their clubs.
On the day of the launch, the 2022 road toll sat at 95, an increase of 13 per cent for the same time in 2021.
Of those 95 lives lost so far in 2022, 58 have been in regional areas, up from 42 at the same time in 2021.
In recent months the Victorian Opposition has mobilised a regional campaign, labelling the condition of the state’s roads in regional areas as dangerous.
Mr Carroll admitted road quality was an element of the formula that would see the road toll reduced and argued the government was spending a record amount on roads.
“We have put in record funding for roads, so in the budget, we’ve committed around $800 million a year,” he said.
“I spend a lot of time in regional Victoria to see the road conditions and how we can make improvements, but we’re also open to innovation so we can resurface quicker.
“We’re using drones, we’re using vehicles to take the photography and get it back to our sealers as quickly as possible.”
Mr Carroll also said the government was working to improve co-operation with local governments to improve the delivery of road maintenance.
“There’s a real important role for the state and local government to work together,” he said.
“Many of these roads are under the jurisdiction of the local council, but I’m also mindful too that often the council does not have the rate base to afford some of the resurfacing so I’m working very collaboratively with Shaun Leane, the Minister for Local Government, on how we can continue to support some of those rural councils, particularly those small rural councils that often have a lot of trucks using their roads.”