The road network across Gippsland is falling apart, and it’s costing lives, thanks to the ongoing neglect by Labor Governments in Melbourne and Canberra.
The Nationals, as part of a Coalition Government, will take decisive action to reverse Gippsland’s worsening road safety crisis if we win the election this Saturday.
Improving road safety is critical, which is why an elected Coalition Government will introduce a comprehensive package of measures to make our road network safer and more productive.
A Coalition Government is committing:
- $500 million for the Roads stream of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program;
- $250 million increase to the Roads to Recovery program, immediately lifting funding to $1 billion per year commencing 2025-26;
- Reinstate the 80:20 federal funding model for nationally significant road projects in regional and remote areas, ensuring more regional roads and highways are upgraded;
- Establish a $600 million Ag and Mining Roads program to support our mining, resources and farming sectors; and
- $10 million for a new Driver Reviver Site Upgrades program, supporting volunteer and community organisations to improve existing driver reviver rest stops and establish new ones.
Recent data from the Australian Automobile Association shows that 2024 was the deadliest year on Australian roads since 2012. The objective of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 is to halve road deaths, yet the road trauma last year was 18.5 per cent higher than when the strategy began.
Our roads are deteriorating, and the consequences are devastating.
In 2021, the Coalition Government led the development of a National Road Safety Strategy in partnership with all states and territories to reduce road trauma and save lives. Yet, in recent years, road fatalities have steadily increased.
We have to do better, and it starts with more investment in safer roads.
