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May 1st, 2013 
CRUMBLING Victorian roads will be fixed with a $170 million paving plan to be rolled out over the next three years.
The state government’s three-year funding plan, part of next week’s state budget, will see $90 million spent on fixing deteriorating roads and $80 million on resurfacing roads to withstand bad weather.
Premier Denis Napthine says the longer-term road package works better than continuing with annual budget funding.
“All of this will result in better roads for Victorian motorists,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
It’s the first time VicRoads had been given a dedicated, multi-year road maintenance budget, he said.
Where the money will be spent has not yet been decided.
The funding is in addition to the usual VicRoads maintenance budget and above a $45 million government top-up announced last October.
The government has also allocated $22 million in the upcoming budget to measures to help tackle heart disease.
Health Minister David Davis says part of the money will be used to fund paramedics carrying a clot-busting drug in one of the state’s country areas, most likely in Gippsland.
The clot-dissolving drugs will then be rolled out across rural and regional Victoria.
The budget injection will also streamline access for people who need heart surgery in major hospitals and improve rehabilitation to reduce the number of people who need to be readmitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) Victorian director Tim Piper has called for greater investment in road and rail infrastructure in the budget to boost the economy and create jobs.
He says many Victorian businesses are facing increasingly tough conditions and a sensible increase in investment could be achieved without jeopardising the state’s AAA credit rating.
In its pre-budget submission, the Ai Group says private sector investment could help fund a proposed 18km East-West Link to connect the Eastern Freeway and the Western Ring Road, and the planned Melbourne Metro rail tunnel.
“Such projects would help generate new jobs and give a much-needed boost to the workload of the state’s manufacturers and construction industry,” Mr Piper said.
The lobby group also calls for easier regulatory reporting requirements for business including web-based reporting.
The submission also recommends developing stronger trade links with Asia to help make Victoria more competitive.
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