Bellbrae road upgrade bid targets crash hotspot

THE Surf Coast Shire will seek more than $3.7 million in federal funding, as well as putting in nearly $1 million of its own funds, to upgrade a high-risk road in Bellbrae.

Councillors last week endorsed a recommendation to authorise chief executive Robyn Seymour to apply to the federal government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program for a stretch of Forest Road between Gum Flats Road and the Great Ocean Road.

The proposed works will include sealing the shoulders of the road, and are expected to cost up to $4.7 million, with $3.77 million sought from the federal program and $930,000 to be contributed by the shire, mostly drawn from its 2027–28 Roads to Recovery program.

A report to the council identified Forest Road as having a history of run-off-road crashes, with 10 injury crashes recorded over the past 10 years, including two fatal crashes in 2024.

Cyclists and motorcyclists are represented in the crash data.

The shire’s assets and engineering team has identified the project as its top road safety priority, a finding supported by a statewide infrastructure risk assessment that rated the stretch medium to high risk due to a mismatch between current conditions and usage.

 

Sealing the road shoulders is expected to improve safety while also reducing long-term maintenance costs by protecting pavement edges, improving drainage and limiting erosion.

The upgrade has also been highlighted as a priority by the cycling community in the shire’s Safer Cycling Strategy 2022–27.

Aside from a 1km unsealed section north of Gum Flats Road, Forest Road is already sealed, and extending works from the Great Ocean Road roundabout would create a more consistent corridor.

The section is currently scheduled for resealing in 2026–27 under the Asset Renewal Program, but council officers have proposed delaying the works by 12 months so the allocated $200,000 can be used to strengthen the council’s co-contribution and improve its chances of securing federal funding.

Speaking at the shire’s council meeting last week, Seymour said the grant could not be used to seal the remaining unsealed kilometre north of Gum Flats Road, as it falls outside the program criteria.

Cr Joel Grist successfully moved an amendment to extend the scope of works for more safety improvements, including at the intersection at Tanners Road, should savings be realised through tender outcomes or project efficiencies.

Cr Mike Bodsworth welcomed the funding opportunity, noting the road’s heavy use and safety concerns.

“Forest Road is a very popular cycling route as well as an important road for vehicle traffic,” he said. “It’s also a really important road for wildlife crossing and sees a lot of roadkill, sadly.

“It’s a really important road for road safety and it’s got quite a bad road safety record.”