As I travelled around South-West Coast electorate during the recent by-election campaign, I listened to local constituents, business operators, farmers, councillors and communities, and they told me very clearly that the no. 1 local concern was roads, roads and roads. Roads are the lifeline of country Victoria. Our roads take our produce to local and export markets, our children to school and our families to the shops, to the doctor and to sporting and social events.
There are few, if any, public transport services. This is why my constituents across South-West Coast are extremely disappointed that in the first budget of the city-centric Andrews government it has abolished the $160 million country roads and bridges program and cut the road asset management program by a massive 17.3 per cent.
VicRoads data confirms that we have the worst roads in Victoria. The further west you go, the poorer they get. Our roads are vital infrastructure in regional Victoria. They need increased funding to be fixed, maintained and upgraded, and not Labor government cuts.
