Toll idea for Great Ocean Road

How long ago was it that the federal government put a levy,yes another one, on every liter of fuel sold to upgrade the roads?

I think to ask the council to "quaranttee the money would go towards the road upgrade " is like trusting politicians. Sure while they are there they MAY do it but once they go oops.

I am not convinced that a toll is best. I just can't trust them. We have a family historical memorial up above the souithern end of the old bridge, Peats Bridge at Peats Ferry, over the Hawkesbury River that is "supposed" to be maintained out of the toll money. Ha!! The last family member up there said that its over run and hard to find. I realise thats just a small inconspicuous memorial. But!!!

Phil

Phil

Hi Phil, I don't necessarily agree with tolls but as i said'' If they can guarrantee it would go to roads'' , but I do agree that they really can't be trusted... as experience has shown, councils are a law unto themselves..I probably should have put my words a little more better...
Stan

I know what you mean.

But just imagine trusting the ranga!!!

Phil

OH YEAH, No WAY

stan

Totally agree!!

There is no such thing as a small toll only a bad toll. The more I drive, the more tax I pay through fuel, rego, etc.

It is a part of the infrastructure for all Australians and should not again be a road for the rich. Imagine every road in Australia being a toll road.

If the principle is right in the micro it should hold in the macro. If we are to have tolls we should also remove tax from fuel, and remove rego etc.

I am outraged to hear people suggest small amount of money is okay. They obviously are not on a pension with no prospect of increased income while tolls will only get dearer.

Alan

Hi Des,

I don't think it is Highway 1, That goes from Geelong west through Colac to Mt Gambier & Bypasses the Great Ocean Rd. That said I think a toll is a bit rough & as said who knows where the money will go anyway.
I have been going down to this area since I was a kid (nearly 50 yrs). My Dad was born in Colac & grew up in Deans Marsh & Lorne. My Great Grand Parents are buried in Lorne Cemetary.......... Doesn't seem right to me to have to pay a toll to visit an area that has been free to see for so long....... Authority just cashing in as usual...
Paul

hear, hear........ well said.

Interesting perspective that. A piece of tar with a few potholes is more important to you than helping to feed, provide clean water and educate (aong other things) thousands of your fellow humans? Consider it a down payment for all the doctors and other professionals who have been trained at great cost by poor nations and are now helping to raise the health and wealth of Australia. Or an investment in security. Or reparation for poking our noses where they shouldn't have been in the first place. Better still read up on the importance of foreign aid. Conservatives and liberals here and in the good ole USA understand its importance. In reality it's not a choice of one or the other, we're rich enough to do both, and a whole lot more.

Bazooka, I fully agree that foriegn aid is an important obligation of all wealthy countries. I lived and traveled extensively in Asia for more than 8 years and have seen the benefits of bringing countries wealth up. No issue.

However the last $4billion has been used in countries that are not in our back yard and for the purpose of getting Kevin Rudd elected to the UN security council.

Heck Australia gave more foreign aid to Iraq that every country except the US. Even more than all the EU put together. Also small Afircan countries where it was wasted through corruption ( but should get inportant votesd). Money just thrown away.

Then we have a budget shortfall. That's my point.

I got your point Boobook2. You wanted to have a free crack at Rudd primarily and thought noone would pick you up on it. Rudd doesn't need me to defend him by any shakes but I found your original comment offensive. You would have received the same response even if you were talking about the previous govt's Foreign Minister, as much as I loathed him. I sincerely hope it was no more than a throwaway line but in this age of bogan commentary one can never tell, hence my reaction.

The Daily Bellylaugh and its stablemates forgot to tell you two things though (actually a whole lot more but then again they wouldn't want their readership to get access to unbiased information would they). Howard was first to suggest that foreign aid would rise to its present levels irrespective of who was in power in Can berra about 6 years ago. And the current increase received bipartisan support, as did Aus tralia's push for a s eat on the Security Council.

FYI here are the details of Aus tralia's aid to Iraq. Looks money well spent to me - especially given the strategic importance of that region and the fact that we helped make it what it is today. Fraud and misuse of funds is always a problem in any program, and existed as much under the previous govt as it does now.

Blaming the pathetic amount (<0.5% of GDP) Aus tralia puts into aid for the potholes in the GOR is not just silly though, it's wrong, and its impact on our current budget deficit is insignificant. You could just as easily blame the Qld floods, or the Murray-Darling water rights buybacks caused largely by successive incompetent state governments. Equally I could point the finger at the watered down MRRT which allows large mining companies to take our resources for only marginally more than a pittance.

As far as the topic goes, my guess is that either there is a local govt election due shortly or the mayor in question was simply trying to attract the attention of the Vic govt to get some action for his/her constituents. I certainly hope the latter was the case because I'm no fan of toll roads.

"Wouldn’t it be nice if in this smart country of ours if you could go to one web site and set up an auto payment to cover all toll roads?"

Like this one?
www.govia.com.au/

Well there you go. I have spoken to fello travellers who had the same complaint. Maybe the authorities need to publish this web site, like maybe even on the toll roads also as I don't recall seeing this one advertised. Thanks for that.