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Tim Bull calls for action on unmaintained fire access tracks following Rivermouth road repairs completion

Tim Bull applauds Rivermouth Road repairs but urges attention to unmaintained fire access tracks, stressing fire-fighting risks and the government's financial mismanagement impacting safety and infrastructure.

By news@gippsland - 30th December 2024 - Back to News

Having requested the abysmal condition of Rivermouth Road, Eagle Point, be addressed prior to Christmas in Parliament, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, is pleased his call had been answered, but said attention must now be turned to the unmaintained fire access tracks in the region. "Unfortunately, we have fire access tracks across the region not maintained and when we get fire in the landscape, it will be problematic for our fire fighting vehicles," Mr Bull said.

Tim Bull, is pleased Rivermouth Road has been repaired prior to Christmas, now he wants the government to start clearing the bush fire access tracks, like this one in the Colquhoun State Forest

Budget cuts impact

Mr Bull said, "In the last sitting week of Parliament, I raised the concern that our panel of contract workers who are used to maintaining these tracks, in many cases had simply not been engaged this year. This is on top of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) budget being cut, government Forest Fire Management workers being reduced and the required amount of fuel reduction burning having not been achieved."

"It is another case of the Allan Labor government that has got itself in so much financial strife, it's trying to penny pinch, but what it does is makes us more vulnerable. They have a debt forecast to hit $187 billion with repayments on interest alone of $26 million a day and now we have the Treasurer who has overseen this debacle riding off into the sunset."

"Despite the work on Rivermouth Road having been completed, I also want the Minister to confirm he has no intention to close it to vehicular traffic. More than once over recent years, Parks Victoria has sought to close the road to vehicular traffic, stating it does not have the funds to maintain it, so we just need that confirmed and that is the question I have asked," Mr Bull concluded.

Pictures from Tim Bull MP website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com