ONGOING road safety issues on the Traralgon-Maffra Road will be a priority for The Nationals after local road users lobbied for years to have the road fixed.
Two Nationals MPs and a Nationals candidate made an appearance at the intersection of Scarne Road and Traralgon-Maffra Road in Glengarry on a windy Monday last month to discuss the priorities. The road, which connects Latrobe City to Wellington Shire, was voted the fourth worst road in Victoria in a state-wide poll conducted earlier this year.
The Shadow Minister for Roads and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, said Traralgon-Maffra Road was an important C-Class road linking many Gippsland communities.
“It’s an important road which supports our agriculture industry, residents and tourism – yet the Andrews government investment on it is seriously lacking,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The voluntary poll is not scientific in any way, but we did an extensive campaign across the state to ask people to tell us what the worst road is, and the Traralgon-Maffra Rd came fourth.”
Mr O’Brien said residents and commuters labelled the Traralgon-Maffra Rd dangerous. “They report road repairs undertaken by the Andrews government have been mere patch-up jobs which fail soon after completion. A road of this importance should have a quality surface with sealed roadsides and be properly maintained,” he said.
“Under The Nationals and Liberals $10 Billion over 10 Years roads funding package, Traralgon-Maffra Rd will be brought up to standard so locals can drive it with confidence.”
Mr O’Brien said The Nationals would review construction standards. “One of the frustrations that we have and people contacting us… is that they see (a road) fixed up, and then within weeks and months it’s breaking up again. Just not done properly,” he said.
“We want accountability to VicRoads and its contractors to make sure we get the job done properly the first time. ”
The Nationals Candidate for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said safety on Traralgon-Maffra Rd was an ongoing frustration for locals who relied on it for their daily commute.
“It’s a road that continues to be raised with me when I’m out in the community – residents are simply fed up with the cheap patch-up jobs and navigating its constantly failing surface,” Mr Cameron, who regularly travels along the road, said.
“Our community is frustrated that as a major arterial road, Traralgon-Maffra Rd has not been properly funded to be maintained to a safe standard, especially when billions of dollars have been wasted on Melbourne-based infrastructure projects.
“This stretch of road supports a steady stream of B-double trucks; truckies will tell you driving the Traralgon-Maffra Rd in a truck is like riding a roller coaster.
“For the average commuter in a family car there’s not even enough room to pull over in an emergency or to change a flat tyre safely.”
The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, said she had been raising ongoing concerns about Traralgon-Maffra Rd in state parliament, advocating for residents in Glengarry and Toongabbie.
“The single biggest issue across the electorate that people contact me or come to my office for is in relation to roads,” Ms Bath said.
“One of the key things here… are those B-double trucks, the large transport. Our produce from farmgate to factory (is) coming along these roads.
“If we don’t make these roads safe and efficient for transport, we’re going to lose profitability in the area as well as make an unsafe environment.
“Gippslanders deserve their fair share.
“They shouldn’t be forced to endure treacherous road conditions just because they live in country areas.”
The state government’s Regional Roads Victoria website lists a number of completed or planned road projects on the Traralgon-Maffra Rd.
One includes a new roundabout at the Traralgon-Maffra Rd and Moe-Glengarry Rd intersection completed in August.
The website identified Traralgon-Maffra Rd as a high-risk rural road, and said that in the five years between 2016 and 2020, it experienced 13 crashes.
