Maintenance blitz announced post call for inquiry

MEMBER for Northern Victoria Region Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell has called for a State Government inquiry into the quality of the workmanship provided by contractors responsible for repairing damaged Victorian roads.

Last month Ms Tyrrell called on her constituents to get in touch with her with details of specific roads that needed urgent attention, and she said her office was consequently “inundated” with complaints.

“Almost as often as I hear from my constituents about damaged, neglected roads, I also hear about the unsatisfactory road repairs carried out by contractors employed by the State Government,” she said.

“I hear stories of these works crumbling, potholes reforming and rough surfaces reappearing within weeks, sometimes days, of so-called repairs being completed.

“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 (for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne) to take action.”

Ms Tyrrell’s comments preceded an announcement on Tuesday last week from Ms Horne regarding the “largest single-year investment in road maintenance in the state’s history.”

The $976 million road maintenance blitz will see crews begin delivering hundreds of major maintenance projects between now and mid-2026 – with 70 per cent of the funding going towards regional roads.

Over the next nine months, road workers will complete “thousands” of projects, ranging from road rehabilitation and resurfacing, to patching potholes and maintaining bridges, as well as installing traffic lights and signage.

“We’re investing nearly a billion dollars to rebuild and repair the roads that Victorians depend on every single day – from the highways connecting our major centres to the local roads that keep our communities moving,” Ms Horne said.