Victorian MPs back more transparency in road funding
Veteran MP and former federal transport minister Darren Chester (Nationals, Gippsland) has confirmed his support for linking federal road funding with mandatory publication of crucial road safety data.
He becomes the fifth Victorian MP and the third Coalition member to back the AAA’s My Safety Counts campaign.
The AAA is calling on federal election candidates to support the use of safety ratings on individual roads to direct road funding to projects that can save the most lives.
It has struck a chord in Victoria where crumbling regional roads have become a major political issue.
ACM’s Victorian regional newspapers have reported that so far this year the federal government has announced billions in road funding, but Melbourne has been allocated 19 times more cash than the rest of the state.
Other Victorian MPs who confirmed they back My Safety Counts include Monique Ryan (Independent, Kooyong), Dan Tehan (Liberal, Wannon), Anne Webster (Nationals, Mallee) and Helen Haines (Independent, Indi).
Dr Haines said governments have access to data that helps show how we can best invest in our roads.
“It’s concerning that this data isn’t publicly available, because it should be,” she said.
“We need assurances that funding is going to where it’s most needed, and not where the major parties decide it has the greatest political advantage.