Having requested the abysmal condition of Rivermouth Road, Eagle Point, be addressed prior to Christmas in Parliament, Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, is pleased his call had been answered, but said attention must now be turned to the unmaintained fire access tracks in the region.
“Unfortunately, we have fire access tracks across the region not maintained and when we get fire in the landscape, it will be problematic for our fire fighting vehicles,” Mr Bull said.
“In the last sitting week of Parliament, I raised the concern our panel of contract workers who are used to maintain these tracks, in many cases had simply not been engaged this year.
“This is on top of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) budget being cut, government Forest Fire Management workers being reduced and the required amount of fuel reduction burning having not been achieved.
“It is another case of the Allan Labor Government that has got itself in so much financial strife, it’s trying to penny pinch, but what it does is makes us more vulnerable.
“They have a debt forecast to hit $187 billion with repayments on interest alone of $26 million a day and now we have the Treasurer who has overseen this debacle riding off into the sunset.
“Despite the work on Rivermouth Road having been completed, I also want the Minister to confirm he has no intention to close it to vehicular traffic.
“More than once over recent years, Parks Victoria has sought to close the road to vehicular traffic, stating it does not have the funds to maintain it, so we just need that confirmed and that is the question I have asked.”
