Wellington and East Gippsland Shire Councils will receive $1.5 million annually for road and bridgeworks through the ‘Country Roads and Bridges Program’ if the Liberals and Nationals are elected in November.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said the program, which Labor scrapped, would provide grants of $1.5 million per annum to each of Victoria’s 48 rural shires and regional councils to fund the restoration and renewal of deteriorating transport infrastructure.

“This announcement comes on top of our $10 billion commitment over ten years to properly fund Victoria’s state road maintenance, whereas this program will benefit the local government road network,” Mr Bull said.

“Labor has ignored our roads, including scrapping this program, and independents and smaller parties cannot deliver as they will never be in government.

“Maintaining local roads is one of the largest cost burdens on local government, especially small councils with large road networks.”

Mr Bull said both Wellington and East Gippsland Shires thought highly of this program. “It was one where the council knew what was coming and could budget, rather than having to await a grand outcome,” he said.

“They were disappointed when it was scrapped, and now we are going to bring it back.”

Mr Bull said reinstating the Country Roads and Bridges Program was a real solution to bringing regional Victorian roads back from ruin whilst also helping alleviate the escalating capital costs, placing downward pressure on rates.

Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath, Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien and Candidate for Morwell Martin Cameron at the intersection of Scarne Rd and Traralgon Maffra Rd in Glengarry.

Wellington Shire Council mayor, Ian Bye, said the council maintains a big network of more than 3000 kilometres of sealed and unsealed roads across the shire in accordance with the council’s road management plan.

“Flooding, storms, and general weather conditions have impacted the local road network significantly over recent years, and we are continuing to focus on maintaining and renewing our roads as a matter of priority,” Cr Bye said.

“Any additional funding will be directed towards priority road projects and will provide more efficient and effective responses to issues across the network.”

Cr Bye said reinstatement of the Country Roads and Bridges program would support council in responding to priority road issues.

“However, we encourage any reinstatement of the program to consider a significant increase on previous funding levels in light of inflationary impacts across the civil works sector,” he said.