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Government claims thousands of potholes are now fixed

THOUSANDS of potholes on Victoria’s south-west road network have supposedly been filled in since February 2023.

A total of 5072 potholes in the region have been repaired according to a letter of reply from the Department of Transport and Planning acting director of Barwon South West Region, Debbie Seymour, who was responding to Hamilton roads campaigner, Jason Bendeich.

Mr Bendiech wrote to Roads and Road Safety minister, Melissa Horne, in September regarding the condition of multiple roads, specifically the Glenelg, Princes, Henty, and Hamilton Highways.

In the response, the Department said the repairs works covered almost 5000 square metres of road surfaces with more than 13,000 still to be undertaken in coming months specifically on the Henty and the Princes Highways.

Mr Bendeich said the letter was a disappointing standard reply.

“It’s nothing to get excited about,” he said.

“It might sound like a lot has been done but the fact is – the roads remain riddled with potholes, and they are still dangerous to drive on.”

The letter stated that sections of the Hamilton Highway between Hamilton and Penshurst Princes Highway between Warrnambool and the South Australian border and the Glenelg Highway are all regularly inspected for hazards.

Mr Bendeich has lived in Hamilton for the past 10 years and has consistently campaigned to highlight on social media how bad the roads are in the area and has written to numerous MPs over the last decade.

As a disability support worker, he travels extensively on the local south-west road network and can speak from an eyewitness account as to how dangerous the roads are.

He said earlier this year that the section of Henty Highway was recently in the worst condition he had seen it in the 10 years he had lived in the area.

“From Cavendish right through to Branxholme - it’s pretty bad,” he said.

Mr Bendeich immediately forwarded the reply to Southern Grampians Shire councillors, mayor David Robertson and Bruach Colliton, and said they were just Band-Aid fixes that wouldn’t last long.

“As you will read there is no investment in our road system, just pothole filling and minor patching,” Mr Bendeich said.

“Obviously once this is complete - the roads will deteriorate again next wet season and so the cycle of improvement and degradation goes.”

Mr Bendeich also forwarded the letter of reply to several State MPs including Gayle Tierney, Jacinta Ermacora, Melissa Horne, Roma Britnell, Emma Kealy, Bev McArthur and Wannon MP Dan Tehan.

“As you can see the letter tells of ‘works’ already completed with a lot of that work deteriorating in the past few months,” he said.

“Patching and pothole filling only lasts a short period of time due to factors like heavy traffic and weather conditions. 

“Substantial investment in our roads is what is required, not this haphazard approach synonymous with this government.”

Taking aim at the Roads minister, Mr Bendeich said “in the letter you will not see the word ‘investment’ instead the only words repeated over and over again are ‘minor patching’ - honestly with our ailing road system this is the best the government can come up with?”

“The new section of the Glenelg Highway near Hamilton Harness completed in March has already started to fall apart just seven months in,” he said.

“We waited several years for this work to be done.

“What a waste and mismanagement.

“The first thing the new Premier announced was the continuation of the level crossing removals in Melbourne which goes to show very little will change with the changing of the guard - much of nothing for our roads and infrastructure in country Victoria.”

“The minister’s media releases may look great, but you only have to view my photo essays or travel our roads to see the government has no appetite to invest in our roads.”

Mr Bendeich concluded his latest representations stating he would continue to fight for better roads for the region.

“Something that I shouldn’t have to fight for,” he said.

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