$1.1b to fix Western Highway near Caroline Springs as country road repairs wait

Desperately needed country road repairs are being bypassed in a pre-election cash splash by Albanese Labor government.

The Albanese Labor Government has made another major funding contribution towards a city road project as concerns grow sorely needed repair works in country areas will miss the pre-election cash splash.

Last week the federal government announced $1.1bn to “improving capacity and safety” on a stretch of the Western Highway between Caroline Springs and Melton.

It follows a “suburban road blitz” with funding for works at Wallan, Cranbourne West and Carrum.

As part of the latest announcement, $100m will be allocated to “planning and early works” to upgrade an intersection of the Western Highway at Warrenheip, near Ballarat, and $6.1m will go towards two bridge strengthening upgrades between Stawell and the South Australian border.

“We’re investing in the transport projects that matter most to Victorians, delivering a rail link to Melbourne Airport, fixing our regional and suburban roads, and strengthening our busiest freeways,” federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said.

“The Liberals and Nationals starved Victorians of infrastructure funding over their decade in government, and we won’t let that happen again.”

The Albanese Labor government has made available another $1.1b for a Melbourne road project as calls for cash for regional road repairs grow. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

But, Gippsland MP and former federal infrastructure minister Darren Chester said “the Albanese government has given up on fixing regional roads”.

“Despite being in power for almost three years, there hasn’t been a single dollar of new funding for the Princes Highway or the arterial road network throughout Gippsland,” he said.

“The end result is unsafe driving conditions and motorists copping expensive damage bills to their vehicles.

“The worst example is the Mallacoota-Genoa Road where $10m has been available throughout this entire term of government, but not a cent has been approved to be spent on improving the road which was the highest priority coming out of the Black Summer bushfires.”

The federal government said it had doubled Roads to Recovery funding to $1bn per year, the Black Spots Program had been increased to $150m per year and it had opened the safer local roads and infrastructure program.

“We’ll continue to work with the Victorian Government and local councils to deliver for the regions,” Ms King said.