Victoria state election 2018: $1 billion on country roads in next decade, Coalition promises

REGIONAL Victorians will be able to nominate dangerous local roads in need of repair under a Coalition plan to pump $100 million a year into maintenance and upgrades.

REGIONAL Victorians will be able to nominate dangerous local roads in need of repair under a Coalition plan to pump $100 million a year into maintenance and upgrades.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy unveiled the “road fix blitz” program in Warrnambool this afternoon, promising to spend $1 billion over ten years on country roads.

The funding would be split up with $400 million for the restored country roads and bridges program, $400 million for targeted road restoration and $200 million for general maintenance.

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The Coalition would pour $100 million into Victoria’s coutnry roads.

The Liberal Party is touring regional Victoria today in the lead up to the state election. Picture: James Ross/AAP

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and Andrew Katos MP were also in Torquay today. Picture: AAP/James Ross

Mr Guy shakes hands with a local resident prior to announcing funding for a proposed aquatic centre in Torquay. Picture: AAP/James Ross

The Coalition would also introduce an app allowing motorists to alert VicRoads of dangerous hot spots in need of work.

South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said one troublesome road in her electorate had been repaired five times in six months.

About half of all road fatalities this year have occurred in regional Victoria, and Mr Guy said the Coalition’s plan would save lives.

Nationals leader Peter Walsh said it would ensure there were “no more patch-up jobs”, promising the Coalition would “get back in control of regional road maintenance”.

The funding will be on top of existing road maintenance programs delivered by VicRoads.

It comes as Mr Guy dismissed today’s negative poll numbers, saying it did not bother him and that he would not “take these polls as fact”.

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He pointed to polls which incorrectly inflated the position of independent Nick Xenophon’s party during the South Australian election, and the Liberal candidate during the federal by-election in Longman.

Mr Guy also dismissed questions raised about his relationship with Scott Morrison, as he visited the southwest coast a day after the prime minister.

“I’ve got breaking news: I have met him. More breaking news: I’ve done announcements with him ... I’ll be standing next to him again,” Mr Guy said.

He blamed “political conspiracy theories” for suggestions he was avoiding calling on the federal Liberal leader’s support during the state election campaign.

@tminear