Bridge renewal is required to boost productivity, say GrainGrowers

GrainGrowers has released the figure as part of its federal budget submission, which renewed previous calls for more funding for roads and infrastructure.

Among GrainGrowers federal budget requests are $900 million per year, nationally, in funding for key regional freight corridors and $100 million in targeted funding each year as part of the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program.

GrainGrowers Trade and Supply Chains policy manager, Annabel Mactier said the Bridges Renewal Program and Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program had been merged into the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program.

It was crucial vital bridge upgrades continued to be funded under the new program, Ms Mactier said.

"Many of Victoria's bridges were built approximately 70 years ago and are nearing the end of their useful life," she said.

"The situation is such that of the approximately 6,000 bridges, around 1,000 have been identified as requiring upgrades.

"Until upgrades are made many of these bridges cannot accommodate the scale of modern freight vehicles, leading to increased costs for grain growers that rely on freight transportation to get produce to market."

Key examples were the Bridgewater bridge, on the Calder Highway, and the Dimboola Bridge on the Western Highway.

Increased federal funding would ensure regional Victorian shires would have more money to maintain local roads, Ms Mactier said.

This was especially critical, following the repeated flooding events across the state,

Some northern councils, only just recovering from floods, were now facing further damage after rainfall over Christmas.

"The program provides funding to all local government authorities based on a formula based on population and road length and allows road projects to be chosen based on local priorities," Ms Mactier said.

"Victoria's councils are responsible for maintaining 132,500 kilometres of local roads, with more than 65 per cent of that length being the responsibility of rural councils," she said.

Many carried a greater financial burden, as a result of their relatively larger geographical area, smaller populations and lower rating capacity.

The federal government had flagged it would be rolling the Roads of Strategic Importance program into the general Infrastructure Investment Program.

"From a Victorian perspective, it's important that targeted funding continues for key regional freight corridors, such as the Western and Calder Highways, rather than just upgrades to individual elements that do not address capacity issues along the selected route," she said.

"With climate change forecast to result in more frequent and intense climatic events, it is crucial investments are made now to build resilience in our freight networks and address emerging issues associated with natural disasters and climate risk."

Rural Councils Victoria chair Mary-Ann Brown welcomed the GrainGrowers budget submission.

"The roads issue continues to be critical, we saw the work the Grattan Institute did last year - they were talking about a figure of $1 billion a year, for a number of years," Cr Brown said.

"I can only applaud their submission - we probably won't be doing a federal budget submission, but we will be preparing a federal election platform, later this year.

"I am sure some of those items will be part of it."

She said nothing had happened, in recent years, to significantly change the financial sustainability of smaller rural councils.

"We have already seen rate capping has been set at less than the current consumer price index - that's the second year in a row," she said.

"The CPI doesn't take into account what has happened with construction costs, research shows some of those construction costs have gone up significantly more than the CPI."

Cr Brown said it was good for governments to hear the same messages "from a variety of groups".