It’s time for the Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan to get out of the city.
Our roads are at breaking point and the silence from the minister’s office is deafening.
As the Minister for Roads, he has a responsibility to ensure the efficiency of the network across the entire state.
As the minister for Road Safety, he has the responsibility to ensure Victorians are able to get to work, school and go about their business, but we are at greater risk than others.
He has failed at both those tasks in South West Coast.
The Minister’s inaction is also putting a big chunk of the state economy at risk. The region’s forestry industry generates $790 million of economic activity alone.
But if trucks can’t efficiently get the timber to the Port of Portland where it is exported to the world, that figure is reduced – and it will get lower and lower as road condition gets worse.
It’s the same scenario for every other commodity our region produces.
I’m extending an invitation to the Minister to visit our region and experience for himself what it’s like to drive on our roads, to see the safety risks our community is exposed to daily.
Minister Donnellan, this region needs your urgent attention, please accept my invitation and come and see how bad things are for yourself.
Roma Britnell MP
Member for South West Coast
