By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
CASEY residents now have the opportunity to point out dangerous roads in the municipality that need fixing following the launch of a new website.
FixOurRoads.com.au, launched by the state Opposition on Monday, allows Casey motorists to nominate roads in the area that require maintenance.
The launch comes after the Opposition released statistics which it says shows funding in Casey’s VicRoads Metropolitan South Eastern Region fell by $17 million in 2012-13 compared to the previous financial year.
The statistics, obtained by the Opposition under Freedom of Information laws, indicate that all seven VicRoads regions have received less funding in 2012-13 than in 2011-12.
A spokeswoman for VicRoads said it was difficult for her to comment on the Opposition’s figures because she did not know how they had been compiled.
However, she said the government had provided $630 million for capital spending on a number of vital new road projects, including in Casey.
“Projects which will benefit the area include the $55 million upgrade of Clyde Road, while a further $5.4 million will be spent on road safety improvements over a 14km stretch of the South Gippsland Highway, from Lang Lang to Loch,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said VicRoads will spend $466 million on road maintenance in 2013-14, including its Repair and Restore road maintenance program.
“This targeted road restoration program will ensure the life of these roads is extended for decades to come,” the spokesperson said.
“It also ensures that VicRoads is able to make better decisions about the timing and type of maintenance to be carried out and will also help us achieve better value for money from our maintenance contracts.”
Minister for Roads Terry Mulder said contracts had recently been awarded to surface roads in Melbourne’s south-east, including the Monash Freeway, and will be started this month.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said the Opposition’s Fix Our Roads campaign will be a valuable asset to Casey motorists.
“Safety on roads in Melbourne’s south-east is not just about driver behaviour but also the quality of our roads which must be safe to drive on.”
