Nationals and Liberals commit $5 billion to repair Victoria’s roads

Motorists across the Mildura electorate will be benefit from safer, more reliable roads under a new $5 billion commitment from The Nationals and Liberals.

This week, Leader of The Nationals, Danny O'Brien, and Leader of the Opposition, Jess Wilson, announced a $5 billion plan to repair and rebuild Victoria's roads and eliminate one million potholes, including throughout the Mildura electorate.

The Nationals' Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, said years of neglect had left regional communities with roads that were simply not good enough.

"I spend a lot of time travelling the roads across our region, so I have a very clear understanding of the challenges facing local motorists.

"Recently, I was travelling along the Donald-Swan Hill Road and was in disbelief at the size of some of the craters that have formed along the shoulders of the road.

"Eleventh Street in Mildura is another example of what happens when state-managed roads are neglected. Local motorists know all too well the frustration of navigating potholes every time they use this road.

"The Birchip-Sea Lake Road is yet another example of why we need a stronger focus on proper maintenance and investment."

The commitment includes a significant increase in preventative road maintenance to stop potholes before they form, alongside greater investment in roadside maintenance such as grass slashing, drain clearing and graffiti removal.

The plan will also re-establish Better Roads Victoria as a standalone agency within the Department of Transport and Planning, restoring the engineering and technical expertise lost when the Allan Labor Government abolished Regional Roads Victoria.

"Whether it's the Calder Highway, Sturt Highway, Sunraysia Highway, Murray Valley Highway or one of the many local roads that connect our communities, people are sick of dodging potholes and seeing patch-up jobs fail time and again.