SOUTH-WEST council leaders are rejoicing after learning more than $29 million in extra funding would be pumped into Wannon local roads through federal fuel excise revenue during the next two years.
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On top of that their usual annual allocation will be doubled this financial year through the recent federal budget.
Eight municipalities across the electorate will receive about $57 million in 2015-16 and 2016-17 as part of the $2.1 billion to be allocated nationally for local roads.
About $1.1 billion of that will be from fuel excise.
‘‘This is fantastic news for the region,’’ Great South Coast group chairman and Moyne Shire Council mayor Cr Colin Ryan said.
‘‘It’s the biggest increase in roads funding for many, many years. We will be able to do a lot more work.’’
Cr Ryan said for his shire it meant an extra $1.6 million this financial year and an extra $4.2 million for the next.
However, he cautioned that councils were responsible for local roads only and major routes came under VicRoads, which is state funded.
Wannon MP Dan Tehan said the federal government’s extra $29.4 million for Wannon councils in the next two years would enable them to improve safety.
‘‘This money will go into hands-on improvements - it will put bitumen on the roads,’’ he said. ‘‘I know this will be widely welcomed.’’
The excise revenue calculations come from accumulated funds since November last year and a share of the overall take for the next two years.
Road to Recovery Funding estimations for the next two years include: Corangamite Shire $9.8m, Glenelg Shire $9.6m, Moyne Shire $11.2m, Southern Grampians Shire $8.7m, Warrnambool City $1.99m.
Municipal Association of Victoria president Cr Bill McArthur described it as a massive boost.
‘‘Without it, councils would have had to source the money through rates,’’ he said.
‘‘Eighty-five per cent of the state’s roads is owned and managed by councils.’’
While welcoming the excise boost, Cr McArthur said a campaign would continue against the federal freeze on indexation of Financial Assistance Grants.
He said the freeze would erode some of the benefits in roads funding.