MUNTHAM’S Hill’s notorious Glenelg Highway road surface is once again under fierce scrutiny as the fight for more State Government spending on rural roads heats up.

In the latest development in a seven-year campaign, Jason Bendeich – whose work in Hamilton has seen him travel the highway often – last week sent a letter and photos of the road’s dilapidated surface on the hill to the region’s representatives in the Government, Gayle Tierney and Jaala Pulford.

Opposition MPs and advocates for rural roads, Roma Britnell and Emma Kealy, also received the photos.

Mr Bendeich was critical of the Government’s commitment to spending on big Melbourne-centric projects and removing level crossings when many roads outside the city were in poor condition.

“We’d like a bit of fairness with regards to funding,” he said.

“If we’ve got billions of dollars to spend on the suburban rail loop and we’ve got billions of dollars to spend on level crossing removals in the city, then our roads in the country should be at a higher standard than this.

“The Government talks about inclusion – it includes making sure that we’ve got good roads to drive on so they can put their money where their mouth is.

“The roads are just not lasting – we’re not getting value as taxpayers.”

While patch works were visible on the Muntham Hill stretch of the highway on Monday – three days after Mr Bendeich submitted his photos and comments to MPs – he expressed little confidence in the difference they would make.

“This is only as good as the next downpour of rain,” he said.

“If you got another couple of days of rain, all this would lift again because it’s just temporary and we all know the trucks will lift it.

“A highway of this nature – this is a B-plus highway – shouldn’t be in this condition anyway.

“What makes this even worse … it’s on a hill – this is where the road needs to be in good shape.”

He referred to an old proverb to say many necessary repairs to the road were avoidable if more action to improve the highway was taken as soon as possible.

“I know roads are expensive to upkeep … but if periodic maintenance was done and the maintenance done properly, we wouldn’t get roads in a condition like this,” Mr Bendeich said.

“That’s why there’s a saying that was invented hundreds of years ago called ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ – because it works.

“When you’re travelling a lot on the roads … you get to know which sections of the road are deteriorating (and) how long since the works were done.

“I maintain a diary of works when they’re done and then just see how long they are lasting.

“One of the problems is that the roads are built but they’re just not lasting.”

Relentless calls

MR BENDEICH has engaged in “relentless” campaigning for various roads to be fixed over the last 30 years, after seeing more quality thoroughfares elsewhere.

“I went to live in New Zealand and I saw that the road system was impeccable – it was in such fantastic order,” he said.

“When I came back to places that I lived in Australia – especially in Victoria – I found that it didn’t even meet the same standards, even though (Victoria) had a similar area to New Zealand, as far as geographical area goes.”

And his inspiration to campaign came from a core lesson he had been taught.

“My grandmother said to me, ‘Be the change that you want to see – don’t leave it up to other people to take action’,” he said.

“‘Call the newspapers and call the politicians and make people sit up and notice’.

“I’m sure most people in Casterton or Coleraine would agree about the highway … but they may talk about it in Coles or in IGA but that’s as far as it goes.”

The Glenelg Highway has been targeted in his campaigning since 2015, which has seen him voice his opinion regularly to people such as the region’s elected officials.

“I’m always knocking on their doors, so to speak, about some extra funding for us.”

Mr Bendeich also said he had invited Ms Tierney and Ms Pulford, as well as Roads Minister Ben Carroll, to visit the highway, but at the time of going to print only Ms Pulford’s office had responded and said she was unavailable.

“I’m doubtful (of Ms Tierney or Mr Carroll visiting) but the offer’s out there,” he said.

“At least they know that people think enough about the condition of the roads to actually invite them out to have a look.”

History of disappointments

IT IS far from the first time the condition of the Glenelg Highway has been taken to the State Government.

Just over 10 years ago, it was consistently scrutinised in reports in the Casterton News and Hamilton Spectator as repairs by VicRoads workers fell apart the day after they were implemented and it was “conspicuously absent” from a $10 million government package for rural roads.

VicRoads had defended its works on the highway – despite admitting it had not started a project at the Coleraine-Edenhope Road intersection previously marked as complete – and promised a further $935,000 in works on sections between Featherstonhaugh Road and Muntham Hill and between Carapook Road and Phoines Road.

This year, it missed out on targeted funding as part of the government’s package for rural roads in the State Budget and winded up as one of the region’s top-voted thoroughfares in the State Opposition’s campaign to determine the worst roads in Victoria.

However, it did not crack into the top 10 when the final results of the poll were announced last week.

The only road in the south west to do so was Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road, which just missed out on a place in the top five.

Also taking a fight to the Government is Southern Grampians Shire Mayor, Bruach Colliton, who last week encouraged locals to share photos and videos of the conditions of rural roads for him to take to the parliament this week with the South West Victoria Alliance of local councils, including the Glenelg Shire.

“I will compile them as evidence of the total lack of funding for our rural roads,” Cr Colliton said on his Facebook page.

“This is a serious safety issue that is rapidly getting worse with the increase of heavy vehicles on our roads.”