Vol. No. Vol. 2618No. 2 27
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Wednesday, January 13, 2023 2016 Wednesday, July 12,
BALLER: Blake Sanger and Dan Reynolds compete for the ball during an Ararat Basketball Association clinic during the school holidays. The two-day clinic was hosted for eight to 17-year-olds on both Thursdays and was well attended. Organisers said participants had fun learning new skills and practising their basketball talents. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Roadwork clarity call A
BY JESSICA GRIMBLE
Wimmera contractor fears rural roads funding uncertainty is putting safety and jobs at risk.
InRoads and its parent company VSA Roads are calling for the competitive roads maintenance industry to unite amid concerns they are yet to receive communication about State Government funding for rural road resurfacing works across the 2023-24 financial year. VSA Roads managing director Justin Bartlett said the contractor was in regular contact with the Department of Transport and opportunities for
tender arose annually in July – however, he said contracts for asphalt and resurfacing were not yet forthcoming. Mr Bartlett said pre-planning for works would typically begin now, with induction in early September. “That’s now been put in jeopardy,” he said. However, a government spokesperson told The Weekly Advertiser as the publication went to press last night the State Government was investing an additional $2.8 billion across 10 years into road maintenance and renewal works, including flood recovery. The spokesperson said the depart-
ment’s road maintenance experts were finalising a works package to deliver maintenance projects across the state. “We have a long history of making unprecedented investments in maintaining Victoria’s roads and that investment will continue in 2023-24 and beyond, with an additional $2.8 billion set to be spent on maintaining our roads and flood recovery over the next 10 years,” the spokesperson said. “This extra funding means at least $6.6 billion will be invested in road asset management on Victoria’s road network over the next decade. “That includes $770 million this
financial year – an investment that will rebuild, repair and resurface those roads that need it most.” Mr Bartlett said state road network funding accounted for at least half of VSA Roads’ income – and was equivalent to about $10 million in revenue annually. InRoads is among the state’s largest road surfacing group of companies, known collectively as VSA Roads. It has provided specialist road surfacing services to local and state road networks throughout the southern, western and northern regions of Victoria for the past 40 years. About 70
percent of its workforce is employed seasonally. Mr Bartlett said a continual decline in state road funding to reseal the rural road network had forced InRoads to downsize last year from three road surfacing crews to two crews of about 20 people each. “We are fortunate, in Horsham, the local council is a great supporter of us and so are the surrounding municipalities. But one crew is sufficient to look after the local road network; the other crew would look after the state network,” he said. Continued page 3
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