OUR regional road network is the backbone of Victoria and the State Government has invested heavily to maintain and improve it, writes TIM PALLAS
I've travelled on hundreds of regional roads over the years and talked to the local families, farmers and businesses who use them.
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What they have told me is they want their roads to be safe, well maintained and well connected.
That is why our government has committed more than $3 billion upgrading them since 1999.
The Opposition's claims we have done anything but deliver better, safer roads in regional Victoria is not true.
When the Opposition was in government it slashed state road funding by 20 per cent between 1994-99. In contrast, we have almost tripled the annual capital funding on regional roads.
Our record investment is making our roads safer and generating local jobs. It is ensuring communities are better and enabling people to spend less time in the car.
Our commitment has delivered 59 significant rural road upgrade projects worth more than $2 billion.
Another 18 major regional road upgrade projects worth $1.9 billion are under way or planned.
Major projects, such as the recently completed Calder Freeway, are just the tip of the iceberg.
We have also invested more than $1.6 billion maintaining the network.
The Opposition has made some incorrect claims about road resurfacing. The facts are clear.
In 2008-09, an extra 500,000 square metres of country roads were resurfaced, bringing the total resurfaced area to almost 11 million sq m.
In 2009-10, nine million sq m were resurfaced - 500,000 million sq m more than what we forecast in the Budget. In 2010-11, the target rise to 10.2 million sq m is expected to be fully delivered.
The Opposition needs to check its numbers before talking down the work VicRoads does to maintain and improve regional roads across the state.
Our government has worked hard with Victorians to reduce the road toll. We have invested $460 million into about 1250 regional road-safety projects.
Our actions to improve rural road safety have driven the regional road toll down 27 per cent since the introduction of the Arrive Alive strategy.
And through Arrive Alive we will invest $650 million over 10 years to further reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
A full 770 days have passed since the Opposition promised to roll out an integrated transport strategy.
It is now clear it has no plan, strategy or vision.
Our government is committed to the future of rural and regional Victoria and we will keep improving regional roads so families can travel in the safest way possible.
- Tim Pallas is the Victorian Roads Minister
