The 2019-20
State Budget has confirmed suspicions that the Andrews Labor Government is
botching the delivery of various critical road upgrades, with various cost
blowouts and significant delays identified.
Despite claims of getting on with the job, Daniel Andrews’ budget shows that
many important road infrastructure upgrades are failing to be delivered on
time, and on budget, including:
– M80 Ring Road $673m – DELAYED by two years
– Plenty Road, South Morang Stage 2 Upgrade – COST BLOW OUT from $103.4m to $143.4m, DELAYED by 6 months
– O’Herns Road, Epping – COST BLOW OUT from $77.8m to $102.8m, DELAYED by 18 months
– Continuing Towards Zero (Regional) $149.2m – DELAYED by 12 months
– Chandler Highway, Kew upgrade $100m – DELAYED 9 months
– Kilmore Bypass $33m – land acquisition DELAYED by two years with no substantive funding to deliver the completed bypass
– Canterbury Road upgrade $19.2m – DELAYED by 21 months
– Hallam Road, Hampton Park – COST BLOW OUT from $45m to $53.5m
– The Western Highway Duplication between Ballarat and Stawell -$656.4m, DELAYED by 18 months
– Great Alpine Road upgrade – $17.3m, DELAYED by more than a year
– Princes Highway east of Sale – $48m, DELAYED by more than a year
– Princes Highway West Duplication between Winchelsea and Colac – $342.9m, DELAYED by six months
– Western Highway Duplication between Ballarat and Stawell – $656.4m, DELAYED by 18 months
– Calder Highway upgrade – $19.2m, DELAYED by more than more than two years
It has been five years since some of these road projects were first commenced,
and Victorians are still waiting for them to be completed.
The Andrews Labor Government must come clean about why so many critical road
upgrades are not being delivered on time and on budget as promised.
With record debt of $54.9 billion already included within the State Budget,
Victorians should be very concerned about the government’s ability to deliver
their road infrastructure promises if so many major delays and cost blowouts
continue to occur.
Comments attributed to Shadow Minister for Metropolitan Roads, Gordon Rich Phillips:
“The Andrews Labor Government has introduced more new taxes on Victorians and yet it’s delaying nine major road projects because it can’t manage money.
Five years of Labor’s economic mismanagement is delaying vital new road work and that’s putting the lives and safety of Victorian motorists at risk.”
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Rural Roads, Roma Britnell:
“Despite introducing more new taxes, the Andrews Labor Government has cut $220 million out of country roads.
Victoria’s regional roads are already unsafe and these cuts will make them even more dangerous and risk lives.”
