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<pstyle:2 – Body Text>The State Government has refused to provide any timeframes for work to start on a promised $10 million upgrade of the Mallacoota-Genoa Road, according to Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.
Mr Chester secured the $10 million from the previous Coalition Government to improve the safety and resilience of the road, which had been closed for six weeks after the Black Summer Bushfires.
Almost four years later, no construction work has occurred on the road despite repeated requests from Mr Chester for the State Government to fast-track the project.
“I’ve been writing to the Ministers for three years, but we can’t force them to move any quicker to get the work done because the road is owned by the State Government,” Mr Chester said.
“Even though constructing a more resilient and safer transport route was identified as a high-priority project by the local community after the bushfires, there is no sense of urgency in the Minister’s office or amongst the bureaucracy to get the work started.
“In May 2021, I convinced the Federal Government to allocate $10 million to help build a better, safer and more resilient transport link between the highway and the coast for the benefit of locals and visitors.
“Almost four years later, not a cent has been spent on the road and who knows what the State Government has really spent on designs, consultation, environmental and cultural heritage investigations, along with purchasing expensive native vegetation offsets.
“Despite repeated requests to get the work started to improve the road surface, re-align some corners, install shoulders and provide some slow vehicle pull-over areas, the community is still waiting.”
Mr Chester has received a written response to his last letter to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne, who refused to indicate when the work would actually start to improve the road surface and alignment but confirmed $500,000 had been spent on studies and consultation.
“I am advised that technical studies, including preliminary designs, environmental and cultural heritage investigations have been completed,” Ms Horne wrote.
“These investigations and evaluations are essential to ensure the Department of Transport and Planning meets the planning and environment legislative requirements and understands the associated approval pathways, timeframes, and costs.
“Now that these details have been confirmed, DTP has lodged a detailed submission to the Australian Government for the release of the remaining $9.5 million funding to construct this project.”
Mr Chester said he was appalled that it had taken more than three years to conduct studies when lives were being put at risk on a deteriorating road surface.
“The Mallacoota-Genoa Road is in worse condition now than it was before the fires, and the bureaucrats have just completed their studies,” Mr Chester said.
“By the time they waste more money to purchase native vegetation offsets, if any trees are impacted, who knows how much of the $10 million will actually be spent on road safety improvements?
“Improving the road was all about helping locals and visitors as they recovered from the Black Summer Bushfires, and everyone is sick of the pathetic excuses from Melbourne Labor, we just want to see some action to start fixing the road using the money that was promised in 2021.”
