The Andrews Labor Government’s regional road maintenance blitz is supporting local jobs across regional Victoria and injecting millions back into the economy.
Minister for Roads Jaala Pulford today visited Sprayline Road Services in Ballarat to meet with VicRoads’ in-house works team who have delivered over $9 million of works to rebuild, repair and maintain regional roads.
The Labor Government’s $425 million regional road maintenance blitz is supporting ongoing employment at Sprayline Road Services for 35 local workers, including one apprentice and several casual employees.
These local crews have been working out of depots in Ballarat, Bendigo, Kyneton, Kilmore, Echuca, Donald and Swan Hill and have already rebuilt rebuilt a section of the Midland Highway at Elmore and a section of Blue Ribbon Road near Horsham.
Crews will be moving on to strengthening the Loddon Highway at Serpentine and the Elmore-Raywood Road in the coming months as part of the most recent round of funding for regional road maintenance.
More than 1,500 kilometres of roads are being repaired and resurfaced in regional Victoria as part of the Government’s $425 million regional road maintenance blitz, including 378 kilometres in Western Victoria.
Workers from Sprayline Road Services are part of the around 1,100 construction jobs that are being created in the regions to help deliver this vital maintenance for regional and rural communities.
As noted by Minister for Roads and Minister for Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford
“These are local people working on local roads in their own region – people who take pride in their work and are making sure that people across the state have safer, smoother roads.”
“By ensuring these works are being delivered by local crews, we’re making sure that the money invested in these vital projects goes back into the regional economy.”
As noted by Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison
“Not only are we getting on with essential maintenance works right across our regions – we’re also supporting local jobs in the process.”
As noted by Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle
“We know how important our roads are for people getting to work or school which is why we’re undertaking this massive investment in road maintenance works that is supporting local jobs.”