INJECTION of State Government cash into crumbling rural roads should come from the axed 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.
Loddon Mayor Dan Straub said rural communities would miss out on vital tourism dollars after Premier Daniel Andrews pulled Victoria out of hosting the Games.
“The Premier indicated cost was a reason and that more than $2 billion would instead be diverted to social housing, tourism and sporting facilities in regional centres that were to have held Games events,” he said.
“The big regional capitals still get a boost. Unfortunately, it appears rural areas like Loddon have been cast aside. We urgently need a massive injection of funds to fix our roads.
“Rural Victoria could spend the entire $2 billion on roads and still not catch up on repairs, maintenance and upgrades desperately needed to transport freight while also increasing safety of all road users.”
Then-Victorian parliamentary secretary Danielle Green last year said upgrade of Loddon pools could be a legacy of the 2026 Games. No commitments were made for rural areas in the Premier’s announcement.