State's response on roads falls flat

Mayor Steve Rabie recently wrote an open letter urging the state government to urgently repair several deteriorating state-managed roads in Mansfield Shire, warning they pose safety risks as drivers swerve to avoid potholes. The government has since responded, citing recent repair works as proof of its ongoing commitment to road safety. “We delivered record roads funding last year and this Budget delivered even more – our massive $976 million Better Roads Blitz will fix potholes and upgrade road surfaces right across Victoria," a spokesperson said. “The 2025/26 Victorian Budget allocates $976 million to deliver proactive and routine maintenance works on Victoria's arterial road network.” Specifically, they pointed to works in Mansfield Shire locations including: • Mansfield-Woods Point Road near Mt Buller Road intersection • Mansfield-Woods Point Road near Jack Scott’s Reserve • Mandoorah (sic) Highway, north of South Cathedral Lane (this location is presumed to refer to a point on the Maroondah Highway near Buxton, Murrindindi Shire) • Midland Highway, north of Nillahcootie Beach • Mansfield-Whitfield Road, east of the Chenery Street roundabout When asked whether the deteriorating condition of the Mansfield–Woods Point Road reflects the quality of work delivered under the state’s $976 million Better Roads Blitz, the Minister for Roads and Road Safety’s office did not directly address the question. Instead, it confirmed further patching works near the Mt Buller Road intersection are scheduled for November 2025. The response follows recent criticism from Member for Northern Victoria Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell over the standard of road repairs carried out by state contractors. “I hear stories of these works crumbling, potholes reforming and rough surfaces reappearing within weeks, sometimes days, of so-called repairs being completed," Ms Tyrrell said. “Repairs lasting only a few weeks is not value for money; they should be fixed correctly the first time, with no corners cut and no need for almost immediate repairs. “The shoddy workmanship we are seeing on rural roads is appalling and I call on the Minister (Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne) to take action to ensure our roads are repaired and repaired properly.” State Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish has been left similarly unimpressed by what she calls band aid fixes undertaken for the purpose of spin rather than actual road safety. “The Allan Labor Government is once again trumpeting a so-called 'Better Roads Blitz', but after years of the same recycled announcements regional Victorians know it's all spin and no substance," she said. “We only have to look at the state of roads across the Mansfield Shire to know Labor’s road repairs are all fabrication. "Only quick band aid fixes that don’t last. “Regional Victorians are sick and tired of being left to dodge potholes and drive on roads that look more like goat tracks.”

State's response on roads falls flat

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