Boral has this week announced redundancies within its roadworks division, the closure of depots at North Geelong and Lysterfield, and the mothballing of sites in Bendigo and Geelong, citing "poor market conditions" for the cuts.
Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O'Brien, said the Allan Labor Government has allowed Victoria's road network to deteriorate, despite communities and contractors raising concerns about worsening conditions and shrinking maintenance activity.
"This downturn in contracting work is a direct consequence of Labor starving the road maintenance budget," Mr O'Brien said.
"Roadworkers are losing their jobs, depots are closing and motorists are blowing tyres on roads that look like goat tracks and yet Labor continues to churn out meaningless press releases claiming everything is fine. Victorians know it's not."
The impact is now hitting families across the state. More than two dozen motorists suffered significant vehicle damage last weekend after hitting a massive pothole on the Princes Highway at Nar Nar Goon.
"Victorians deserve proper maintenance funding and a government that treats road safety as a priority, not a PR exercise."
The Nationals and Liberals are calling on the Allan Labor Government to explain how it can be allegedly putting more money in, yet contractors are winding down and the roads are getting worse.
"Labor can't manage money, can't manage roads and Victorians are paying the price."
