Better late than never – Melba Highway to be fixed soon

The Melba Highway is set to be safer for motorists after resurfacing works commenced this week at the notorious intersection with Healesville-Kinglake Road at Castella.

State Liberal Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish said the works were ‘better late than never’ following months of waiting and false promises by the Andrews Labor Government.

“Finally the Melba Highway is receiving the attention it needs. It’s taken months for the government to get on with the job and fix the road surface.”

The works follow lobbying by Ms McLeish who first wrote to Minister for Roads & Road Safety in August last year.

The Minister responded in September announcing that roadworks would be completed in the warmer months of 2017.

Ms McLeish followed up the matter in January asking what works had been carried out and when the project would be completed.

In response the Minister said rehabilitation works at the intersection were expected to be completed by the end of April.

“It’s now the start of winter and the government is finally starting to fix the road surface. I hope that wet weather will not jeopardise the integrity of the new road leaving us to start all over again.” Ms McLeish said.

Ms McLeish said that despite great fanfare and self-adulation, Daniel Andrews is not fixing the country roads as he promised to do in 2014.

“Buried within the budget we see that spending on repairing regional roads is being cut from $215.3 million in 2017/18 to $165.2 million in 2018/19. That’s despite Daniel Andrews saying he’s spending $1 billion on roads.”

Resurfacing works are also taking place on the Healesville-Yarra Glen Road following a campaign by Ms McLeish to have that road fixed.