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Gippsland's once-proud roads now crumbling, says MP Tim Bull, blaming Labor cuts and mismanagement

Gippsland East MP Tim Bull says Victoria's roads are crumbling due to Labor's funding cuts and financial mismanagement, leaving critical highway sections dangerously neglected near the New South Wales border.

By news@gippsland - 28th July 2025 - Back to News

Once upon a time, not too long ago, crossing the border from New South Wales into Victoria meant entering a state with wider, smoother, and safer roads. It is something we could, and did, boast about. "That is not the case anymore," says Gippsland East Nationals' MP, Tim Bull.

Tim Bull, pictured next to one of the road craters on the Monaro Highway. Road works finished just short of this location and marks the start of a very rough stretch that he says is a State embarrassment

Potholes persist unfixed

Mr Bull said, "Of recent times we have had just two kilometres of road repairs right on the border, but 2.2 kilometres away the craters start and between the 44 kilometres from the border to Cann River there are almost 200 areas of broken surface. Many of these are areas that have had temporary fixes that have quickly blown out to being potholes again, as the repairs were simply not done right."

"When I have raised this matter in Parliament, the Roads Minister, Melissa Horne, simply speaks about the miserly two kilometres that have been repaired. Why you would cart all that machinery up there and not fix the worst 10-15 kilometres is the question I would like answered, but in all honesty, we know the answer."

"Clearly it is a case of money and, when you cut roads funding over time and reduce the amount of road surface that is to be treated each year, this is the outcome you get," he said.

Roads neglected again

Mr Bull said as soon as you leave the two kilometres of newly treated surface there is a massive crater that is the start of a very poor stretch on what is a high use highway. "Labor's own budget papers state they will be fixing less road area than they did last year, in a period where we need much more done."

"This is the result of the state's finances being grossly mismanaged to the stage where we are to hit a debt level of $192 billion with interest repayments alone of $28.8 million per day. This is the simple reason we are seeing cuts across the board."

"We need a government that will restore the state's balance sheet to a respectable level, because under Jacinta Allan it is out of control. Labor cannot manage money and Victoria's road users are paying the price," he said.

Pictures from Tim Bull MP website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com