The Victorian State Government has appointed a Chief Regional Roads Officer to lead a new VicRoads division, Regional Roads Victoria, that will oversee what is the biggest road maintenance blitz in the state’s history.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Luke Donnellan, announced that experienced Geelong engineer Paul Northey will take up the new role of Chief Regional Roads Officer in September 2018.
Mr Northey has lived and worked across regional Victoria for decades, including senior engineering roles at Barwon Water and Coliban Water in Bendigo.
He has extensive experience delivering essential infrastructure services and understands the critical importance of a reliable and safe road network to regional Victorians.
As the head of Regional Roads Victoria, Mr Northey will oversee the Victorian State Government’s record $941 million investment in country roads – with more than 1,000km of road to be repaired, resurfaced or rebuilt across country Victoria this year.
“I have lived in regional Victoria for around 30 years, and I know first-hand how important safe and reliable roads are to the livelihood and productivity of regional communities,” Mr Northey said.
“I’m looking forward to visiting communities across the state to talk about Regional Roads Victoria, and to learn more about their priorities as we upgrade the regional road network.”
Regional Roads Victoria will be a division of VicRoads, based in Ballarat, with a presence in regional centres across the state – solely focused on giving regional Victorians roads they can rely on.
Regional Roads Victoria has been established to provide a strong coordinated approach to road maintenance across the state – ensuring regional Victorians can enjoy safer, faster and more reliable journeys.
