Labor accused of ‘pork-barrelling’ in $750m electorate road fix

Two major roads projects worth $750m will only roll out in Labor seats, with the state budget ignoring pot-holed roads in the regions.

Gippsland South MP and shadow minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O'Brien. Picture: Supplied

Two major state government road programs worth more than $750m will only roll out in Labor seats, leading to accusations of pork-barrelling.

Shadow roads spokesman Danny O’Brien said the two programs, announced in the state budget, were shown to exclude Opposition electorate and that pot-holed roads in the regions were being ignored.

“Not a single cent of it is being spent in a non-Labor-held seat,’’ Mr O’Brien, MP for Gippsland South, said.

Mr O’Brien told Roads Minister Melissa Horne during the state’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee that the Road Blitz to get Families Home Sooner and Safer scheme was worth $694m and the Delivering Better Local Roads program is costing $61.8m, both over four years.

“Are you using the roads budget for your own personal pork barrel?’’ he said.

Ms Horne said: “These were election commitments that have been made that I am happy to say we are out there delivering.’’

Opposition electorates and pot-holed roads in the regions were ignored in this year’s state budget.

Gippsland South MP and shadow minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O'Brien. Picture: Supplied

The Delivering Better Local Roads program will fund for upgrades for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, including new paths, variable speed signs and new pedestrian signals in metropolitan areas.

She also said the department was found to be still assessing the state of regional roads, eight months after last year’s devastating floods.

The Road Blitz scheme is to pay for projects including the intersection upgrades at Point Cook Rd in Altona Meadows, Ballan Rd in Wyndham Vale and Thompsons Rd at Clyde North.

It was also revealed that of the flood recovery allocation of $165m, $24m not been spent.

The money was provided as an emergency to repair damaged roads across the state after the floods last October.

But Mr O’Brien questioned why no more dedicated flood repair cash was available.

Ms Horne said work was continuing and that the government had adopted a long-term strategy.

“So far there have been 808km of pavement works that have been done. This ranges from clearing debris and pothole repair to much more complex treatments such as major patching works, resurfacing and pavement stabilisation.’’

A total of $770m was allocated this year as part of a 10-year funding plan, she said.

The Victorian Transport Association has estimated $1bn was needed to rehabilitate regional roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged during the October 2022 deluge.

Mr O’Brien also wondered why Victoria was lagging years behind other states in its use of technology from the Australian Road Research Board.

The organisation had provided a hi-tech truck, known as the iPave, to analyse the surface condition of damaged roads.

“The ARRB has had it for five years … and now you are finally using it.’’