Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes joined Roads Minister Luke Donnellan in Stewarton, just outside Benalla, yesterday to launch the government’s $100 million Fixing Country Roads Program.

Councils have been given just over three weeks to submit their applications for a slice of the funding, but have been warned it will not be “a blank cheque”.

They will no longer be given free reign to allocate funds to anything to do with roads, as grants will have strict requirements to ensure the money is spent on specific roads in the municipality.

Ms Symes said it was important to continue “fixing the roads we all rely on”.

“This fund will make a big difference for our local councils, making sure that council-managed roads aren’t left behind,” she said.

Roads funding has been brewing as an election issue since Labor cut its Country Roads and Bridges Program, and the Liberal Party promised in April to bring it back if elected in November.

Benambra MP Bill Tilley complained in April that the North East had missed out completely during the announcement of $941 million for the state’s crumbling country roads.

He said Woolshed Road, just outside of Beechworth, received the most complaints to his office.

Arguments have also been made to Indigo Council for funding, but the road missed out in this year’s budget.

A Victorian audit office report found last year that about 10 per cent of roads in Victoria were rated "very poor" and 30 per cent "poor".

“Not enough funding is allocated to road maintenance to sustain the road network, but VicRoads also cannot demonstrate clearly that it is making the best use of its existing maintenance funds,” it stated.

Euroa MP Steph Ryan said council roads were neglected and deteriorating across each municipality without the government’s support.

“(Premier) Daniel Andrews scrapped the Country Roads and Bridges Program and spent money earmarked for country roads on bridges in the city,” she said. 

“Throwing a bit of cash at them just before an election just won’t cut it.”