Gippsland › Latest news › Darren Chester MP
Darren Chester urges speed up delivery of $10M worth of safety projects along Mallacoota-Genoa Road
Darren Chester calls for the acceleration of vital road safety projects, expressing frustration over delays in project commencement despite secured funding, and criticizes the state government's maintenance shortcomings.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has urged bureaucrats to 'speed up the delivery of urgent road safety projects' as motorists wait years for projects to start. Mr Chester said it was frustrating to secure funding for projects and then wait years for work to begin. "After a year of increased road deaths and serious injuries, I would expect the state and federal governments to fast track road safety improvements but they are stuck in the slow lane and Minister Catherine King is refusing to answer basic questions."
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has urged road authorities to speed up the delivery of $10 million worth of safety projects on the Mallacoota-Genoa Rd
Delayed road improvements
Mr Chester said, "Our highways and major arterial roads across East Gippsland are a patchwork quilt of potholes and crumbling surfaces thanks to the state government's failure to invest enough funding in maintenance and upgrades. But it's even more frustrating that projects don't move quickly when funding is secured. In 2021, I convinced the previous federal government to give the state government $10 million to increase the resilience of the Mallacoota-Genoa Rd and deliver safety improvements."
"It's taken 2.5 years for the state government to paint some lines on the road and release a list of 'things to do' in 2024 after a farcical consultation process. I provided the state government with a list of the community's priorities after hosting a meeting with local business owners, community groups and emergency service providers in June 2021."
"We've wasted more than two years and not a single section of road has been fixed. When I write to Minister King and seek an update on road funding in our region it can take her up to 10 months to even provide a reply. Hopefully we will see some action early in 2024 to provide better road shoulders, some pull-over areas for slow vehicles, improved sight lines and surface upgrades," Mr Chester concluded.
Pictures from Darren Chester MP website.
Source: http://gippsland.com/
Published by: news@gippsland.com
Latest News
Baw Baw Shire Council welcomes Victorian government grants aiding Noojee transition from timber harvestingDarren Chester calls for stop to rural health merger citing risks to Gippsland services due to lack of consultation, secrecy and autonomy loss
Nicholson Primary School students get chance to discuss Parliament while receiving certificates from Darren Chester
Russell Broadbent urges government budget accountability to alleviate cost-of-living pressure to tackle inflation and alleviate cost-of-living pressures following the Reserve Bank decision
Senators to reject Fresh food tax after report reveals lack of clarity and adverse impact on farmers and families
ACV/GARDS gets $560K for Gippsland asbestos victims and additional $19.3M for asbestos removal from Victorian Labor government
Baw Baw Shire Council continues advocacy for key unfunded projects despite limited aid from 2024/25 Victorian State Budget
South Gippsland Shire Mayor Clare Williams elected president of Australian Local Government Women's Association and more council updates
APS Drainage and Civil selected for culvert relining on Loch-Kernot Road in Bass Coast Shire from 13 May 2024 with $750,000 budget
Benambra-Dinner Plain-Omeo Landcare Group plant 6,000 trees in East Gippsland and praised by Darren Chester for improving river and wetland health