Claims not stacking up
Dear Editor,
Sam Birrell’s claims in a recent edition of the North Central Review (12/08/25) were misleading and deceptive to the readers of your publication.
For nearly a decade under the Coalition, Victoria received just 7 per cent of national infrastructure funding, despite our great state being home to almost a quarter of Australia’s population. That neglect left Victorians battling potholes, crumbling curbs and roads so unstable. The state of our roads has become a symbol of the Coalition’s failure to invest in our state.
Since being elected in 2022, the Albanese Labor Government has doubled funding and committed $5.5 million to Mitchell Shire Council through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, $40 million to reseal Old Sydney Road, and $855,000 in Black Spot funding for Queen and Windham Streets in Wallan. That is not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars set to deliver major projects like the Camerons Lane interchange, the Northern Intermodal at Beveridge and the Watson Street diamond interchange at Wallan.
We’ve increased funding to fix local roads — nearly $900 million will flow to Victorian councils over the next five years to repair potholes and make driving safer. That funding means more potholes filled, pavements repaired, and safer local intersections. Meaning, you’ll spend less time stuck in traffic and more time where you need to be.
Mr Birrell is also wrong on the facts. Kilmore only became part of Nicholls after the 2024 redistribution, not in 2022. And the Growing Regions Program hasn’t been “cut” — it’s now been replaced by the $400 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, which will deliver significantly better outcomes for regional communities.
Labor will keep working with local councils and community groups to make sure our region gets the investment it deserves and that locals know the full story about what’s being delivered.
Senator Jana Stewart
Senator for Victoria
