THE Victorian Government’s failure to complete the Murray Basin Rail Project is accelerating the degradation of Mallee roads and adding to safety concerns, according to Member for Mallee Anne Webster.
Dr Webster this week said that while the Federal Government had committed to better roads, State Government action on rail was “desperately” needed to ensure Victorian roads were safer for drivers.
“The incomplete project has delivered a substandard rail system in Victoria, resulting in producers who are increasingly opting to freight their produce by truck,” Dr Webster told Federal Parliament.
“While I support our road transport industry and accept that there will always be a need for it, Mallee roads are experiencing accelerated degradation and increased safety increases due to the number of trucks using them daily,” she said.
“We can reduce these outcomes by getting more freight on to rail and we will get more freight on to rail if the Murray Basin Rail Project is completed.”
Dr Webster said the “ill-fated” $440 million Murray Basin Rail Project had been mismanaged by the Victorian Labor Government after a $240 million investment from the Federal Government.
“I call on the Victorian Labor Government to complete this project in good faith and to work with Federal Government to achieve this end,” she said.
Dr Webster said the Federal Government had committed to safer roads by contributing $1 billion to the Black Spot Program between 2013 and 2023 with an ongoing commitment of $110 million each year.
“The continuation and expansion of this program will be particularly important for regional and rural areas, including my electorate of Mallee,” she said.
“Since the start of the program, 13 projects have been approved in my electorate – a total investment of over $6 million to our region.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure,Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Federal Government was delivering on election commitments made in Mallee.
“People living in and travelling throughout Mallee deserve better roads and better infrastructure and the safest possible journey to get to where they need to be sooner — and perhaps most importantly, safer,” he said.
“In Mallee alone, as part of our election commitments, we’ve invested $6 million for black spot road upgrades.
“These are black spot upgrades which are going to take away those deadly intersections and make sure that we improve those sections of road which have proved so costly to so many families in the past.”
