State defends spending amid regional road backlash

Consistent downpours of rain last week have raised concerns around the growing reports of potholes and unsafe infrastructure on local roads, particularly on the Hume Freeway. Peak community road safety organisation for the Hume region, RoadSafe North East, is calling on the Victorian government to urgently address what it describes as a widening gap between road safety policy and the reality of regional road conditions. Executive officer Aaron Scales said across the region, worsening pavement conditions, potholes, edge failures and broken surfaces are placing road users at unnecessary and entirely foreseeable risk. “While the government continues to promote road safety initiatives focused on driver behaviour, many state-managed roads across regional Victoria are deteriorating to the point where they are becoming a direct safety hazard in their own right,” he said. “Regional communities are increasingly questioning whether this standard of infrastructure would be accepted in metropolitan Melbourne. “The perception that it would not is becoming a serious concern.” The community road safety organisation is calling for immediate prioritisation of repairs across state-managed regional roads, an independent safety audit of the regional road network, a sustained, funded maintenance and renewal program and alignment of infrastructure standards between regional and metropolitan Melbourne. “The Hume Region plays a critical role in supporting Victoria’s economy through agriculture, freight and regional industry that supplies metropolitan Melbourne,” Mr Scales said. “Despite this, there is growing concern that investment in regional road infrastructure is not reflecting either risk or economic importance. “Regional Victorians should not have to wait for serious crashes before action is taken.” A state government spokesperson said 70 per cent of road maintenance funding over the past two years was directed to regional Victoria. The spokesperson pointed towards the upcoming $1.04 billion road maintenance blitz as part of the recent state budget. "This is the biggest roads blitz in the state's history – we're fixing more potholes than last year and delivering more complex rebuilding and rehabilitation works to strengthen roads for the long term," they said. Planning for the works involved experts from the Department of Transport and Planning consulting data along with in-person inspection and feedback from the community. The state of the roads has also caught the attention of the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) who urged motorists to report pothole and road hazards as part of a two week regional road reporting blitz. VFF analysis showed a 75 per cent drop in Victoria’s road repair target in five years. President Ryan Milgate said every report would help demonstrate the scale of the conditions of Victoria’s regional roads. “Victoria’s country roads are the worst they have ever been, many are literally falling apart and some are straight-up death traps,” he said. “Regional roads stakeholders met with the Roads Minister recently, and received a clear message that local reporting is critical to get repairs prioritised. “Every report helps demonstrate the shocking condition of our regional roads and sends a clear message that these roads cannot continue to be ignored.” Drivers can use VicRoads’ online road issue reporting system, call 13 11 70 or upload their shots to Snap Send Solve to report hazards including potholes, damaged road surfaces, faded line markings and damaged signs. The state government encouraged all drivers and the community to report any concerns about the road network by calling 13 11 70.

State defends spending amid regional road backlash

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