Hope for our roads

THE appointment of Michael Malouf to the top of the state’s roads authority should be a boon for the Geelong region.

We are quietly optimistic that Vic Roads’ awareness of the road issues of our region can only grow from what is a very low base.

We have noted before that the organisation, which is headquartered in the leafy eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew and which might be better named Melb Roads, has a very capital-city centric view of the state.

How else could they let new traffic lights in our region interminably run on diesel generators that then run empty, causing public safety issues?

Why else would they increase the 40km/h zone outside Geelong schools (assuming there’s no pupils attending) on Melbourne Cup Day?

Why else would they be so slow to react when they are needed to rectify parts of the Great Ocean Road that act as the lifeblood of coastal communities?

Why else would a report into whether the Princes Highway between Geelong and Melbourne should be moved up to 110km/h take so long?

None of these issues would arise or be neglected if they were occurring on Spring St in Melbourne.

But as Geelong grows we are too important to the state’s population and transport needs to be treated as if we are some little hamlet in the boondocks.

Local frustrations at the Melbourne-centrism of Vic Roads have sometimes led to the view that nothing short of pulling up that authority’s headquarters by the roots and transplanting it in Geelong could change the culture.

We hope that the appointment of Mr Malouf will prove to be the next best thing.

He is a civil engineer, an experienced senior public servant and decorated businessman. But most importantly he is a Wandana Heights resident.

We will continue to report and advocate for local motorists.

But we wish Mr Malouf the best of luck. He does, after all, have his work cut out for him.