Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said the latest announcement from the Victorian Government of a $1 billion allocation for regional road maintenance is not an increase in investment for regional Victoria.
"This is the amount always allocated for regional road maintenance and does nothing to improve the current situation of our roads. Without a genuine increase in funding, the maintenance backlog will continue to grow and the same issues will re‑emerge year after year," he said.
Cr Sali noted that while the Government has highlighted statewide maintenance activity, no road works or upgrade commitments have been identified for Greater Shepparton or its surrounding regional freight network.
"Our concerns raised through Council's State Advocacy campaign are not being addressed. We continue to call for long‑term investment in fit‑for‑purpose transport infrastructure to support a growing regional city," he said.
Cr Sali said regional road networks are under sustained pressure from population growth, increasing freight movements and repeated flood damage, with many roads now reaching the end of their design life.
"This is being presented as a record maintenance investment, but maintenance alone is not a substitute for rebuilding structurally failing assets," he said.
"Without a shift toward reconstruction and upgrades, the underlying problems will remain."
Council supports Regional Cities Victoria's call for an additional ongoing $500 million, long‑term investment in regional roads and will continue to advocate for funding that matches the scale of the challenge facing growing regional centres.
