Blitz to repair damaged roads

THE State Government has announced a muti-million-dollar package to repair roads damaged by recent flooding.

Spending $165 million state-wide, the aim is to locate and repair potholes and road surfaces damaged by rain and flooding.

That money will also go to fixing roads, bridges and ditches needing large-scale works with a focus on the Loddon Mallee, Hume, and Western regions of the state.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ben Carroll, visited a site of major damage on the McIvor Highway just outside of Axedale earlier in the week.

“We are getting on with repairing regional roads and supporting communities to recover from this significant flooding event,” he said.

The money to fix roads is coming from a larger $351 million allocation of cash by the State Government to address a range of issues resulting from the flood.

A Victorian Flood Recovery Management Plan, with $150 million allocated to it, will aim to direct a state-level coordinated clean up, while there’s also $15 million for Emergency Management Victoria, the State Control Centre, and Emergency Recovery Victoria, to boost the capacity of those agencies and resources.

Finally, $6 million has been set aside to place community recovery officers in municipalities to help those affected by the floods on a local level.

“There isn’t a second to waste as we begin recovery in flood-affected communities, whether it’s support for households, clean-ups or local roads,” said Premier Daniel Andrews.

“There is a significant job ahead of us but we’re equal to it. I know that all levels of government will keep working together to get this job done.”