Budget’s road funding ripoff: Victoria gets half of NSW and Qld spend

NSW and Queensland received more than $10 billion each for road funding in the federal budget, but Victoria received $5.7 billion. Why?

Municipal Association of Victoria president David Clark says the Victorian Government has “backed out” of road funding. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Victoria has received little more than half the road funding of NSW and Queensland in the federal budget.

Over the current and next four financial years, NSW will receive $10.5 billion and Queensland $10.3 billion from the federal government, while Victoria receives just $5.7 billion, under what is termed the road investment component of the budget.

Victorians have also missed out on getting a fair share of the federal Roads of Strategic Importance program, with the budget allocating $235 million over the forward estimates to the state.

In contrast NSW has been granted $517 million; Queensland, $897 million: and sparsely populated Western Australia, $848 million.

State and local government staff familiar with road funding say part of the reason for the Victorian funding shortfall was due to the Andrews Government’s inability to match what the federal government put on the table.

One staffer said the federal Roads of Strategic Importance program was entirely dependent on each state matching the funding, which explained why the cashed up WA Government was able to gain so much.

Municipal Association of Victoria president David Clark said the state’s finances were “in such a dire situation Victoria has backed out”.

The Weekly Times asked Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King if the shortfall was due to Victoria’s failure to match the federal allocations.

But Ms King, who is the Federal Member for Ballarat, failed to answer the question, simply stating “the Australian Government works closely with the Victorian Government to deliver the road infrastructure Victorians need to get around safely, smoothly and efficiently”.

Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne failed to answer the same question, stating “we will continue to work with the Albanese Labor Government to make sure Victorians get our fair share of road funding.”

Victorian Opposition roads spokesman Danny O’Brien said: “Labor at both state and federal level needed to explain to Victorians why they’ve short-changed Victorians compared to other states.

“It would be no surprise to most of us that the Victorian Government is not pulling its weight in fixing our roads, which are in a dire state.”

Mr Clark said after the floods last year, councils across the state were dealing with severe damage and increasing demands on maintenance and reconstruction.

He said the redirection of the final stage of $250 million in Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program to local roads is recognition of this problem, “however Victoria’s share is only around $50 million”.

“In Victoria we need $260 million to $300 million just for flooded road funding,” Mr Clark said.