Victoria's major parties have clashed over a $10 billion road maintenance pledge.
If elected in November, the Victorian Liberal and Nationals have vowed to increase the state's annual road asset management budget from about $600 million a year to $1 billion over the next decade.
They've also committed to audit all state-managed roads and review construction standards to increase accountability of VicRoads and contractors.
"A billion dollars a year is a lot of money for road maintenance but we need it," Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told reporters at Broadwater in the state's southwest.
"Country roads, outer suburban roads, they need it because they're falling apart."
The Victorian coalition accused Labor of cutting the road maintenance budget by 10 per cent when it came to government, and lowering speed limits on rural and regional roads to compensate for deteriorating conditions.
But Labor claims it has invested $813 million on road maintenance annually on average over the past four years, compared to $493 million on average each year when the coalition were last in office.
"We have rebuilt or resurfaced more than 10,000 kilometres of regional roads and nearly 2000 kilometres of metropolitan roads to ensure quality and safety - the largest road maintenance program in Victoria's history," Roads Minister Ben Carroll said.
Nonetheless, the Victorian Farmers Federation has described the condition of the regional road network as "ruinous" and called on both sides of politics to commit to funding certainty.
"More than 50 per cent of all road fatalities occur in regional Victoria, despite it being home to 24 per cent of the state's population. We won't accept that," VFF President Emma Germano said.
It comes as the Property Council of Australia called for a scheme where developers could contribute to building low-cost homes as part of its pre-election platform, despite earlier railing against Labor's proposed social housing levy.
Its interim Victorian executive director Cath Evans, who replaced Danni Hunter in the role after she allegedly made racially insensitive remarks, said the sector has a role to play in helping other parts of the state economy.
"But it's being hampered by an overly complex policy and planning environment, high levels of regulation and rapidly increasing costs which requires significant reform over the next four years," Ms Evans said.
"Ensuring Victorians have access to suitable and affordable housing is one of the most critical elements of driving success for the wider state economy."
A 1.75 per cent levy on new developments of more than three dwellings as part of a reforms package to cut planning red tape and boost sector profits was dumped by Labor in March following staunch opposition from the council and other property groups.
Premier Daniel Andrews said he recently met with the council's executive but reiterated the social housing levy and reforms package would not be revisited under a re-elected Labor government.
