There is no doubt our crumbling roads are the biggest issue in western Victoria, so why wasn't the Roads Minister present at the Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Assembly?

We had nine ministers in town, our roads are falling apart, yet even give the dangerous condition of our local roads not one dollar of roads funding was announced.

Many sections of the Western, Wimmera and Glenelg Highways are simply crumbling to rubble, putting local lives at risk and causing considerable damage to vehicles.

Some ministers braved our dangerous roads to travel to Horsham, but not surprisingly most took the safe option of flying. 

Labor’s recurrent funding cuts to roads have reduced road resurfacing and rehabilitation works in our local area, causing the current and dangerous state of our roads.

Thanks to The Nationals, the premier has almost a billion dollars to spend in regional Victoria on the back of the Port of Melbourne sale.

There is now no reason why Daniel Andrews can’t immediately fix our county roads and save country lives. I urge local people to keep reporting all road hazards to VicRoads via my website www.emmakealy.com or by phoning 131 170.

This will help give VicRoads the data they need to demonstrate that more funding is needed to respond to road hazard reports.

It appears that last week’s Regional Partnership Assembly was just another Labor government talkfest, just like Kevin Rudd’s infamous Ideas Summit. Labor must understand that we’re sick of their talk and action is needed now to build a better and safer region for our communities to thrive.

EMMA KEALY

Nationals Member for Lowan

THE Municipal Association of Victoria is encouraging residents to get informed about council election candidates to understand who will best represent them for the next four years.

Residents in the state’s 72 municipalities with postal elections have begun receiving ballot packs.

Communities are encouraged to read the candidate information available to ensure they make an informed vote.

This is the largest democratic event in the state and we want to make sure Victorians know who they are voting for.

We also encourage residents to fill out their ballot forms with enough time to meet the deadline.

For postal elections, completed ballots must be mailed or hand-delivered to the returning officer by 6pm on October 21.

This year, some wards have more than 30 candidates and it’s understandable for voters to feel overwhelmed with choices.

There’s nothing wrong with getting in contact with a candidate to discuss local issues and ask questions about their election campaign. 

Voting in a council election is compulsory for people between the ages of 18 and 70 years.

It is also an ideal opportunity to advance your community by deciding who will best represent you, advocate on your behalf and be the voice of your community.

However, it’s clear from previous election statistics that some people take this vote for granted.

This is disappointing because it is an important democratic right.

Councils are responsible for more than $79 billion of roads and infrastructure, plus over 100 services that communities rely on daily like libraries, childcare, and waste collection.

Voters get to decide the best candidates to handle this high level of responsibility – make your vote count.

ROB SPENCE

CEO, Municipal Association of Victoria