Minister for Roads and Road Safety to urgently deliver long-overdue flood recovery funding to the Buloke Shire Council.
Speaking in Parliament, Ms Benham said Buloke is still dealing with the damage from the 2022–23 floods, with recovery works valued at between $60 million and $80 million, but the State Government has yet to release the funding it committed.
“Buloke was one of the hardest-hit areas, yet funding has been delayed, watered down, or tied up in shifting rules from the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements assessors,” Ms Benham said.
“Council is being left to manage unsafe roads with only a fraction of the promised support. Families, school buses, contractors and emergency services are being forced to use roads that are not fit for purpose, and the risk increases every day.”
Ms Benham noted council is now resorting to using variable message signs to warn road users of hazards, while reports of vehicle damage from unsafe conditions continue to increase.
Ms Benham said the Labor Government is prioritising large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the Suburban Rail Loop, with it’s $11.66 billion cost blowout, over essential community needs like flood recovery. “These recovery works are critical for public safety, and the Government needs to focus on what really matters for regional communities,” she said.
“This is completely unacceptable. A small rural shire like Buloke, already struggling with a limited ratepayer base and vast geography, can’t carry these costs alone. The Treasurer and the Minister must step up, honour their promises and support the community’s recovery,” she said.
We know Labor can’t manage money, it can’t manage its funding streams and it’s rural families who continue to pay the price.
