GIPPSLAND South MP and Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O’Brien says new road safety data confirms many Gippsland roads are unsafe after years of neglect under the State Government.
Mr O’Brien said the new Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) star ratings of Victorian roads, published recently, reveal several of Gippsland’s local roads are among the lowest rated for safety in the state.
“The AusRAP system measures how safe a road is by looking at speed limits, traffic volumes, road surface, line-markings, lane and shoulder widths, and roadside hazards,” Mr O’Brien said.
“A 5-star road is the safest, while a 1-star road carries the highest risk.
“Meeniyan–Promontory Road, the gateway to Wilson’s Promontory, received just 1.6 stars.
“Carrajung–Woodside Road (1.5 stars), Fish Creek–Foster Road (1.3 stars), The Grand Ridge Road (1 star) and Boolarra Road (1 star) also scored poorly.
“Even our highways fared badly, with Princes Highway East at 3.5 stars and South Gippsland Highway just 2.3 stars.
“Local drivers deal with potholes, narrow lanes and collapsing shoulders every day.
“What is worse is that Labor’s only solution seems to be lowering speed limits rather than fixing the roads.”
Mr O’Brien said he remains concerned that the government’s only answer will be to use speed reductions to boost ratings.
“By lowering speed limits, a road can get a higher star rating even if nothing is done to fix dangerous sections.
“Labor can claim improved safety while the road itself remains narrow, potholed and crumbling.
“Gippslanders are tired of band-aid fixes. They want and deserve safe, reliable roads to get to work, school and the shops without fear of damage or injury.
“It is clear that Labor can’t manage roads and Gippslanders are paying the price – sometimes with their lives.”
Media ‘blitz’ or road blitz?
The State Government announced last month that it was “rolling out a major road maintenance blitz” to rebuild, repair, and resurface roads right across Victoria “backed by the largest single-year investment in road maintenance in the state’s history”.
But Mr O’Brien said the proof was in the pudding after a decade of such announcements.
“I don’t think we can believe this year’s ‘road blitz’, let alone the past 10 years,” he said after recalling similar announcements in recent years.
Local transport operator Stuart Storr was scathing about the condition of South Gippsland Highway, saying it continued to cause expensive damage to the company’s trucks and costly downtime for repairs.
“It’s a joke,” he said of years of State Government claims of funded road improvements, adding, “if they had the money they would have fixed it, wouldn’t they?”
Mr Storr labelled the South Gippsland Highway as “slippery”, noting that because there’s no metal on the road, “it’s like a skating rink”.
