Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines says she will fight for funding to help councils fix potholes and repair damaged roads if re-elected.

Dr Haines’ plan to reboot the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program would provide $500 million a year in untied grants to local councils.

She said a funding shortfall was contributing to the decline of regional roads and called on the Commonwealth to boost roads funding, which has dropped in recent decades.

“More than 75 per cent of Australia’s road network is owned or maintained by local governments, but regional areas struggle to fund the ongoing maintenance of local roads,” Dr Haines said.

“This is one of the biggest issues people talk to me about across Indi — as drivers we need to make sure our cars are roadworthy, and we need more funding to make sure our roads are ‘carworthy’.

“Federal Government support has declined as a proportion of government revenue, which means councils must compete for routine maintenance through competitive grant programs.

“Regional communities battle a number of hurdles in upkeeping local roads, including small ratepayer bases, increasing cost of repairs and materials, scarcity of workforce and limited funding opportunities.”

Since Dr Haines’ election, more than $155 million in roads funding has been allocated to roads across Indi.

“We have had some significant wins on road funding in Indi, and I am proud of that. But I know we must keep fighting for a better deal for roads to keep us safe as we travel to work, school and beyond,” she said.

Dr Haines’ proposal has been costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, which has calculated Indi would receive an additional $36.3 million over four years, to be shared between the councils.

“This funding would enable local government to undertake the day-to-day work of fixing potholes and road erosion, while they plan for longer-term funding priorities,” she said.

“For communities in Benalla, it would provide $3.8 million for the council to prioritise repairs, apply flexibility that suits the local context and complements other projects.”

Dr Haines said if she was re-elected, she would push both major parties to adopt her policy.

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