MP says budget reveals spending on rural roads $220m less

The member for South West Coast said state government papers revealed spending on regional roads in 2019/20 was significantly less compared to last year.

"There is virtually no money for major regional road upgrades," she said.

"There is no funding certainty for the Fixing Country Roads program beyond 2019/20. If Premier Daniel Andrews and Roads Minister Jaala Pulford think they can start cutting funding because they have done the job and fixed country roads, they are mistaken.

"I challenge them to take a trip around regional Victoria to see how much work still needs to be done. Their minds will be changed."

A spokeswoman said the government was "continuing to deliver safer and more reliable roads for regional Victorians with $519 million invested in the budget".

"We established dedicated country roads body Regional Roads Victoria last year to make sure communities get the quality roads they deserve - and RRV is rolling out a massive program of work to do just that," she said.

The government advised that this financial year RRV had already delivered road rebuilding upgrades on Casterton-Apsley Road, Penshurst-Dunkeld Road and the Hamilton Highway at Caramut - while upgrades on Lavers Hill-Cobden Road, Warrnambool-Caramut Road and Coleraine-Edenhope Road were being finalised.

It said extensive asphalting and resealing works had been undertaken across the region and state and federal governments had invested $40 million into a maintenance package to improve the Princes Highway between Colac and the South Australian border.

In Warrnambool this has included resurfacing the Princes Highway between Liebig Street and Glenrowe Avenue. Two sections have been rebuilt in Terang and 8.4km of road between Boorcan and Port Fairy has been resurfaced.

The government advised over the next two years under this program, RRV would undertake five major road rebuilding works between Camperdown and Terang, repair sections west of Port Fairy, Yambuk and Tyrendarra and rehabilitate several sites between Portland and Heywood.

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.