Gippsland East Nationals MP Tim Bull has sought more detail from Government on the permit system that will operate to allow interstate travel.

This will be critically important for communities like Mallacoota, Bonang and Bendoc, as residents rely on services from over the border that do not exist in that local community.

These can be as wide ranging as medically related matters or trades related requirements.

Given this is likely to be in place for some time, it is important border residents know what they must do to obtain quick access to services they need.

It is frustrating that this decision seems to have been based on COVID cases in metropolitan areas, and those country people who live close to the border are now seemingly paying the price for the carelessness of some city residents.

Following the Victorian Auditor General’s (AG) report confirming the road safety barrier installations program is a disaster, Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has asked for a specific investigation into the Princes Highway between Bairnsdale and Sale.

“I have spoken to the AG and asked that he consider a separate report into this stretch of road, which has had a spate of serious heavy vehicle accidents, and which truckies who travel the country refer to as the worst section of Highway they’ve seen,” said Mr Bull.

“I have provided the AG with a copy of the third-party concerns that have been raised, including road safety experts, freight companies and emergency services workers, along with photos of the numerous heavy vehicle accidents that have occurred.

“Many of the complainants are not opposed to the barriers, but rather the fact they are not installed in line with VicRoads own standards, as pointed out in the original report.

“In short, the road is too narrow, and this is confirmed both in the AG report and a response to me from the Minister. It was the cost of earthworks and vegetation offsets that did not allow them to meet their own standards.

“To me this means vegetation offsets have been prioritised over safety outcomes and this is a point I hope will be at the heart of what will be investigated.

“My overarching concern here is within the Department. There still remains an unwillingness to acknowledge the concerns and that the installation is flawed.

“Responses to complaints appear to be protective of the work and program and dismissive of specific complaint details with often a general response that ‘barriers save lives’ commentary, that does not answer the individual concerns of the complainant.

“The Auditor General (AG) stated ‘wide offsets give vehicles room to safely pull over when they need to. If an offset is too narrow, then vehicles will intrude onto the road lane when they pull over, which creates a traffic hazard. This is especially dangerous on single‐lane roads that have both a median and left‐hand side barrier’.

“We all know this, so why did VicRoads seek an exemption to make it less safe for motorists? The answer was to keep the project within budget - so it’s here in black and white that VicRoads has sought exemptions to its own preferred standards to reduce costs.

“The centre barrier is also too close to fast moving traffic and according to road safety experts and drivers, is the reason for the number of barrier strikes.

“I would look to have these two points, which are heavily related to the road width issue, properly addressed and some solutions recommended.

“The AG has done a great job highlighting the deficiencies of this program, now we need his office to take a closer look at the on the ground ramifications.”

Caption: Multiple truck crashes with the safety barriers have prompted Tim Bull’s request for the Auditor General to investigate the Princes Highway between Stratford and Bairnsdale.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull has slammed a Bunnings decision to discontinue sourcing timber from VicForests, a decision that will have significant impact on Victorian timber towns, including East Gippsland.

 

“This woeful decision from Bunnings could not have come at a worse time. Our communities have been impacted by drought, fire and now COVID-19 and the local economy is really struggling.

 

“For Bunnings management to come in on the back of that and make this announcement shows no understanding of our plight.

 

“They have based this massive decision on the outcome of a court case earlier this year that VicForests breached its code of practice in relation to protections of Greater Glider and Leadbeater’s Possum habitat.

 

“I am reliably advised this is a decision VicForests is appealing, so they are basing this on a decision that will be reconsidered.

 

“To discontinue sourcing all timber from VicForests is a massive over-reaction and one that will hurt our local communities. On top of this Bunnings could not tell me where it will source its hardwood from in the future.

 

“They could only agree it will not come from Victoria as there is no hardwood plantation, so it will likely come from interstate or overseas.

 

“To me Bunnings management has shown its true colours here. When our communities are in need, have been decimated by fire and an economic downturn, they come out and make things a whole lot worse.

“I want to stress this is not about the staff on the ground in local stores. I have several friends who work at Bunnings in Bairnsdale, this is purely a criticism of management.

 

“I explained the impact this will have on towns like Heyfield, but they just want to trot out lines like ‘we will work with suppliers to achieve the best outcomes for them’. Well that does not help our mill workers and their families,” Mr Bull said.