The Gunner Labor Government needs to address the worsening state of many of the Territory’s regional and remote unsealed roads with a ‘rip and reform’ program, Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said today.
It’s apparent that many roads have been graded down to the point where they have become a flood risk, with large mounds of soil lining each side of the road.
“After travelling through remote parts of the Barkly this week, I have seen roads that are badly in need of attention. The roads have suffered under a government that is not prioritising the regions,” Mrs Finocchiaro said.
“70 per cent of the Territory’s roads are unsealed and we need a better solution. That solution is the ‘rip and reform’ program the CLP Opposition committed to during the election campaign.”
A ‘rip and reform’ program would remove defects and corrugation, while rebuilding and reforming the road to allow water drainage. This cost-effective method prepares the road to be maintained until it’s sealed.
“When you listen to people on the ground, this sort of approach is what they say is needed to better manage unsealed roads,” Mrs Finocchiaro said.
“We cannot have a strong economy if we are not efficiently connected.
“Regional and remote communities rely on these roads and people living in the bush deserve to have them kept to a standard that allows them to safely travel and get product to market,” Mrs Finocchiaro concluded.