Country roads: Axing Victorian country roads and bridges program a ‘mistake’ says Darren Chester

Everyone has an opinion on country roads. Federal Coalition MP pinpoints the moment when everything went wrong in maintaining them.

The parlous state of Victorian country roads can be traced back to the Labor Government’s decision to abolish the Country Roads and Bridges Program when Daniel Andrews first became Premier, according to former federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester.

Mr Chester, the Nationals MP for Gippsland, also believes this month’s state election should be a “referendum on our roads, particularly country roads”.

“The Daniel Andrews’ government is now blaming the recent floods for the poor state of our roads,” he said.

“But the wheel-destroying potholes were already there during the drought.

“As the former Minister Infrastructure and Transport, I know that road funding is a complex issue and it’s easy for one level of government to point the finger at someone else.

“But the facts don’t lie. Regional Victoria’s arterial roads are falling apart and it’s a state government responsibility to fix them.”

Darren Chester on the pothole riddled Great Alpine Road. Picture supplied

The Country Roads and Bridges Program was dumped when Labor returned to power in 2014 with Regional Roads Victoria later created to fix country roads.

The Coalition has promised to resurrect the program if elected.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Roads Minister Ben Carroll. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Victorian Labor was contacted for comment by the Weekly Times.

Recent floods in northern Victoria and widespread rains across most parts of the state has led to a $165 million emergency road repair package by the Victorian government.

Nationals candidate for Mildura Jade Benham with the shadow minister for roads Danny O'Brien.

But Shadow Roads Minister Danny O’Brien said it shouldn’t take a natural disaster before the government responded.

“Labor recently characterised our roads crisis as an imagined fantasy,” he said.

“The appalling state of our roads is not because of just one flood event, and a one-off package for emergency repairs will not address the long-term crisis facing Victorian roads.

“Communities like Shepparton, Rochester, Echuca, Seymour, Charlton and Benalla are being devastated by rising floodwaters, with many families and communities seeing their roads being completely washed away.”