Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has accused the Victorian Labor Government of “monumental incompetence” as the long-awaited Mallacoota-Genoa Road upgrade remains stalled.
Speaking in Federal Parliament, Mr Chester criticised the lack of progress on the critical road project, despite $10 million being committed by the former Federal Coalition Government in May 2021.
“Just fix the bloody roads. That is the constant refrain I hear from people in my electorate who are concerned about poor maintenance, potholes and damage to vehicles on roads which have not been properly maintained by the Victorian State Government,” Mr Chester said.
“If you want to understand what is wrong with the Victorian Government, look no further than its handling of the Mallacoota-Genoa Road upgrade.”
Mr Chester said the project was identified by the local community as the highest priority for recovery and resilience following the Black Summer bushfires.
“In May 2021, the former Coalition Government committed $10 million to improve safety on the Mallacoota-Genoa Road, which is a critical link to one of the most important tourist towns in Gippsland,” Mr Chester said.
“After the Black Summer bushfires, the road was closed because of fallen trees and debris, and the resilience of the access road was the number one issue raised by the community in the aftermath of the fires.
“The Victorian Government refused to provide a cent for the project, so we secured $10 million from the former Coalition Government to get the work started.
“Five years later, not a single cent has actually been spent on the road.”
Mr Chester said it was extraordinary the Victorian Government had failed to deliver the upgrade, despite the Commonwealth funding being available.
“The Victorian Government owns the road and is responsible for its upgrade and maintenance,” Mr Chester said.
“It is extraordinary to think a government could be so incompetent that even when the Commonwealth provides the money, it still fails to deliver the road upgrade that Mallacoota and Genoa communities identified as their top priority.
“That is complete incompetence, and Gippslanders deserve better.
“The Victorian Labor Government has been so consumed by rorts, corruption and cost blowouts on Melbourne’s Big Build projects that it has forgotten the rest of the state.
“If Labor had not wasted so much time and taxpayers’ money in Melbourne, maybe it would have turned its attention to regional roads like Mallacoota-Genoa Road.”
