Suburban and country roads are the big winners in an ambitious new $2 billion funding guarantee from The Andrews Labor Government.
Under the plan, revenue from traffic cameras and on-the-spot speeding fines will be used to repair and upgrading some of the worst areas on Victoria’s extensive road network.
“We’ve locked roads funding into legislation, delivering on our promise to build better roads for outer suburban and regional communities – protecting our roads from future Liberal-National cuts,” Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan said.
“In 2014 we said we’d spend $2 billion over eight years to fix roads in the outer suburbs and in country Victoria – we’ve already delivered and far exceeded that commitment – when we say we’ll do something, we do it.”
The legislation would establish the Better Roads Victoria Fund to receive on-the-spot speeding and traffic camera revenue, putting money from fines back into the community for road upgrades.
Under the new laws, outer-suburban and country Victorian roads would each receive a minimum 33 percent of the Better Roads Victoria Fund, ensuring those who drive the most will get better and safer roads.
The remaining 34 percent of the fund will be used for the repair and upgrade of roads and level crossings anywhere in the state, to give VicRoads the flexibility to divert resources where they’re needed most.
Labor’s 2014 Transport Plan, Project 10,000 committed $1 billion over eight years to repair and upgrade roads across Melbourne’s outer suburbs, and another $1 billion to repair and upgrade roads and level crossings in country Victoria.
