State and Federal Transport Ministers who have repeatedly ignored urgent requests to fix a dangerous section of the Princes Highway near Lakes Entrance have ‘blood on their hands’, according to Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.
Mr Chester said he had warned the Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne and Federal Minister Catherine King about the high frequency of crashes between Swan Reach and Lakes Entrance, with one corner the scene of multiple run-off-road and head-on accidents.
“Both Ministers have blood on their hands because they have been warned about the dangers of this stretch of road and refuse to take any permanent action on the corner which has been the scene of the most crashes,” Mr Chester said.
“In 2023, I pleaded with them in writing to undertake a complete safety audit and meet with emergency service workers and tow truck drivers who knew the full tally of crashes on the Forestech corner.
“Minister Horne admitted that the Department of Transport didn’t have a full record of crashes because it relied on casualty reports to Victoria Police.
“If the police aren’t contacted, the data doesn’t reflect the number of incidents, but local tow truck drivers and the CFA certainly know how many times they are called out to crashes on that particularly stretch of highway.”
Mr Chester said he had raised the issue again this year after a nearby resident raised safety concerns about the corner.
Minister Horne replied in writing that there were “no plans to implement major changes at the bend” because “no conditions have been identified that would support such improvements”.
The Minister wrote: “A review of crash data from the past five years reveals one serious injury crash, and Victoria Police concluded that the road design was not a contributing factor. If other crashes have occurred at this location, I understand they have not been officially reported to Victoria Police or included in the records.”
Mr Chester said the Minister should stop blaming drivers and take some responsibility for the condition of the road.
“They don’t even know how many crashes have occurred at the corner,” Mr Chester said.
“The suggestion from the Minister that the road surface and drainage are functioning as expected and the road is in an acceptable condition is an insult to motorists’ intelligence and shows no respect for the local emergency service crews who are traumatised by repeatedly attending serious crashes along this section of the Princes Highway.
“On the one hand, the Minister says there’s nothing wrong with road, and this week there’s six new temporary speed restriction signs in place.
“The Ministers should stop relying on advice from bureaucrats and actually drive from Sale to the New South Wales border themselves and experience the conditions first-hand.
“The Allan State Government has cut road maintenance funding, and the Albanese Federal Government has not provided any new money for capital works, so the Princes Highway is falling into disrepair.
“At a time when road deaths and trauma are increasing across Victoria, it is staggering that we are not listening to the locals, and seeing a focus on improving the condition of the road network work to save lives and reduce serious injuries.”
