$4.8 million pledged to partly fix “terrifying” road

Labor will commit $4.8 million to upgrade the Wangaratta-Whitfield Road when Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes visits the rural city, accompanied by Labor lower house candidate for Ovens Valley, Jennifer Smith, on Friday. Sections of road in the most severe disrepair would be upgraded as a priority and council is asking the community voice their concerns. The road is rated one star out of five under the National Australian Road Assessment Program. Motorists have long complained about its narrowness, lack of shoulders and a deteriorating surface that has only been temporarily remedied by patch-up jobs. Advocacy for a major upgrade has continued for the best part of a decade, with this masthead carrying a long-running campaign for action. Community-led research found 85 per cent of respondents considered the road unfit for purpose, while 78 per cent reported vehicle damage while using it. King Valley road campaigners Chris Hazell and John Bridges identified priority areas of the road that need fixing. These include south from Oxley including Oxley to Docker; Moyhu crossroad to the Moyhu school; the bridge over Joan’s Creek needs replacing; Edi to the Edi Cutting; and Hyem Cemetery to just before the King Valley rail siding. Ms Hazell said the road carries a strong flow of traffic from locals and tourists, particularly on weekends and during events. “It’s large, you’ve got big four-wheel drives, they’re carting their caravans, the caravan parks are full, and that’s why the sides of the road are just crumbling away,” Ms Hazell said. “The road is inadequate - no shoulders, terrible, and dangerous.” The campaigners said King Valley tourism had been forecast to reach about a million visitors by 2030 before COVID intervened, and council indicates patronage is expected to double in the coming years. Destination King Valley has grown in popularity, and the government has previously invested $4 million in initiatives in Whitfield and Cheshunt, including public art gateway projects and tourism infrastructure such as trail improvements. “But the road itself has been left behind - some lanes are narrower than they should be, and drivers towing caravans or passing heavy trucks have nowhere to go,” Ms Hazell said. After 100 businesses were surveyed, the feedback was “mind-blowing”, with many spending heavily on tyres and windscreens. “Trucks returning to Wangaratta loaded with logs or gravel add to the damage at the road’s edges,” she said. “It’s amazing there hasn’t been a head-on crash.” The group has been documenting problem areas since 2019. In 2022 it gave Rural City of Wangaratta a 74-page report based on consultation with residents and businesses, and it has since passed details to the council’s new chief executive, who they believe is across the issue. The campaigners said they wanted planning completed quickly to identify priority problem areas, with works starting next year after the election. “We want this to happen straight away at the start of the term,” Ms Hazell said. The funding would form part of an $893 million plan to upgrade 50 roads, bridges and intersections across the state.

$4.8 million pledged to partly fix “terrifying” road

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 11 November, 2026

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