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Government Wipes Licola Off The MapOpposition Upper House Leader, Philip Davis, says the Labor Government has left Licola isolated in the aftermath of the Gippsland floods. By Emily Broadbent - 19th July 2007 - Back to News Mr Davis said in Parliament today two damaged bridges on the Licola Road had yet to be repaired, and the Government had compounded the problem by wrongfully claiming access to the township had been restored.
The Government, he said, had effectively wiped Licola off the Victorian map.
Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas yesterday reported to the Legislative Assembly that "access was restored to Licola on 14 July when a temporary Bailey bridge was installed".
But inquiries by Mr Davis have revealed the road remains impassable because of flood damage to the other two bridges and road pavement between Heyfield and Licola. Licola has also been isolated from the north since March when massive landslides closed Licola-Jamieson Road, and the Government has made no attempt to assist in re-opening that route.
"The Minister – a member of the Government’s flood recovery task force – has misled the Parliament with his claim Licola has access to the outside world," he said. "Weeks after the peak of the flooding, Licola is Victoria’s most isolated town.
"Moreover, the Government seems content to leave it that way and to leave people in the dark about the true state of the road. The VicRoads and Department of Sustainability and Environment web sites contain no warning that the road is still closed.
"Four-wheel drive forest tracks provide the only ground access to Licola, and that is restricted to the delivery of essential supplies and requires a Government permit."
The Upper House today adopted a resolution by Mr Davis to extend the terms of reference of the inquiry into last summer’s bushfires to cover the floods.
This will require the Environment and Natural Resources Committee to inquire into the impact of the bushfires on the extent and severity of the recent floods, particularly in the Macalister Valley.
More information: Kevin Balshaw 0408-088 748
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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