Rural Councils Victoria – which represents communities across Victoria’s 34 rural council areas – has called for major federal roads funding reforms in its submission to the Federal Parliament’s Inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network.
The inquiry was set up in the wake of the recent devastating floods.
In the submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport RCV has called for:
An ongoing review of road engineering and construction standards to enhance the resilience of future road construction.
Greater Federal Government funding for local roads to ensure that roads and road assets are built back to an appropriate higher standard.
The use of waterproof products in road construction.
Review of the Commonwealth’s role in road resilience planning to ensure infrastructure can be built back to higher, climate-change-resistant standards as a matter of course.
Creation of a proactive mitigation assessment fund so small rural councils have the resources to provide recommendations relating to disaster-prone infrastructure.
Rural Councils Victoria has also recommended that:
Chair Cr Mary-Ann Brown said: “Our submission calls for what is in effect major but entirely practical and logical reforms to federal roads funding for rural, regional and remote areas.”
“The recent floods have demonstrated that rural, regional and remote communities are resilient but also extremely vulnerable. The Commonwealth – along with local and state government – has a vital role to play in minimizing the impacts of natural disasters on rural communities.
“Let’s build back better and these are some practical suggestions to achieve that and so we don’t have to keep rebuilding the same infrastructure into the future.”