Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a petition with 3,968 signatures. It has been examined by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Petitions and found to be in order.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition of VicRoads road users Draws to the attention of the House the urgent need for action on road funding on VicRoads roads for which the Victorian State Government is responsible. The current condition of the VicRoadsroadnetworkmeansthatmotoristsfacedailydanger, inconvinience and risks of vehicle damage. The Turnbull Coalition Government has committed to providing $345 million in roads funding to the Victorian Government's road network and has asked the Victorian Government to match it's funding.

We therefore ask the House to do all within its power to encourage the Victorian State Government to commit to matching the Federal Government's $345 million Victorian rural and regional roads package, including vital repair works on the Princes Highway and Henty Highway for which the Victorian Government isresponsible.

from 3,968 citizens.

It is with honour and privilege that I present this petition on behalf of my constituents and, in particular, on behalf of the principal petitioner, Jean Hillam. Jean Hillam decided to take up this petition after she suffered major damage to her car while travelling on the Henty Highway at night. Jean is an 83-year-old pensioner and she suffered over $800 in damage to her car while travelling to Bolwarra to meet with the Portland arts group. She forgot her painting as she drove back to Portland. It was pouring with rain, there was no lighting and, sadly, she hit a pothole and it split a rim on her car entirely in two. I commend Jean for taking up this petition, which has, as I have said, 3,968 signatures—nearly 4,000 signatures. I also commend all those businesses, individuals and family members who have signed this petition, because, after signing this petition, with its call to arms for action on our local roads, they have achieved in part what they set out to do.

Last week the state government decided to match the $20 million the federal government put on the table for the Henty Highway and the $20 million that the federal government put on the table for the Princes Highway. That is a much-needed $80 million injection to our local roads. The most important thing now is that VicRoads immediately—and I say this loudly and clearly—gets on with fixing the roads. It has been estimated that we need $180 million to fix the roads. This investment of $80 million gets us nearly halfway. There is still more to be done, but, with an $80 million injection, we now need real action to start immediately. I call on the state government, on behalf of my community, on behalf of the nearly 4,000 signatories of this petition, to immediately get to work.

We have seen the federal government leading the way with a major Victorian infrastructure package, a $220 million commitment for the Murray Basin Rail Project. Also, we have seen significant funding going to our local roads. There is more to be done but, most importantly, the work needs to start now, because we should not have events where pensioners, driving their cars at night, are faced with bills of $800 due to the poor condition of our local roads. It is with great honour that I present this petition to the House.