Victoria’s Auditor-General has issued a damning assessment of our road network.
A report titled “Maintaining State Roads” was tabled in parliament on Wednesday, September 9th, declaring 48 percent of the network to be in a “poor” or “very poor” condition.
The Loddon-Mallee region fared worst of all, with more than half of its roads placed in the “very poor” category.
Additionally, the report stated that over $3 billion of government funding is needed annually to “maintain road pavement condition at existing levels while replacing age-expired assets”.
That’s roughly three times greater than the current level of road asset management funding.
More worrying is the backlog for the number of repairs yet to be carried out, which has more than doubled in the past 18 months.
Regional Cities Victoria – a group which includes Greater Bendigo council – said the report has “confirmed the obvious”.
“The Auditor-General has put the evidence behind what regional communities have been telling government for years – our roads are deteriorating faster than we are fixing them,” RCV chair Ben Blain said in a statement.
“Potholes get the headlines, but the Auditor-General confirms the bigger problem is what is happening underneath them. We need to invest in the life of the road, not just the hole in the road.”
Meantime, Victorian Nationals leader and Shadow Roads Minister, Danny O’Brien claims the incumbent Labor government is to blame for the situation.
“Labor hasn’t provided enough funding, plans to cut it again next year after the election and has failed to deliver the preventative maintenance that will stop potholes forming in the first place,” Mr O’Brien said.
As for the government’s response, Minister for Roads Paul Hamer told journalists at a media conference: “I didn’t need a report to tell me that the condition of our roads in Victoria needs to be improved.”
But he also acknowledged that the current approach to road maintenance is “not working” and the government needs to do better.
The full report can be read on the Auditor-General’s website.
How bad are the roads in your neck of the woods? Tell us by sending a message to BendigoNews@ARN.com.au
