FOLLOWING on from a story The Spectator covered on March 23, 2024, the notorious intersection at South Boundary Road and the Hamilton-Port Fairy Road has continued to deteriorate, causing a recent driver to become airborne, they said.

What was most disturbing about the incident the driver said, was that unlike numerous other less dangerous roads, there was no signage approaching the intersection on the Hamilton-Port Fairy Road to warn drivers of the potholed ridden, broken, and bumpy surface, nor were there any speed reduction signs.

The intersection was highlighted in the recent story that said a staggering 91 per cent of Victorian roads had been classified as ‘poor or very poor’ after an assessment undertaken by the Victorian Government in 2023.

Under the assessment model used, not a single road in the Victorian roads survey was classified as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ with the remaining nine per cent only listed as ‘fair’.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) confirmed the Hamilton-Port Fairy Road was their responsibility including the section of the road going through the intersection.

The responsibility of the South Boundary Road lies with the Southern Grampians Shire Council and ends at the give way signs before the intersection.

DTP, Barwon South West and Grampians, executive director, Michael Bailey, said regular inspections of this road were undertaken.

“We regularly inspect and perform routine maintenance along Hamilton-Port Fairy Road, in line with our road management responsibilities.”

“We’ll continue to work with Southern Grampians Shire Council to determine if any upgrades, including increased signage, are needed.”

DTP manages over 22,000 kilometres of road network which is inspected regularly.

In considering signage, DTP takes into consideration roadside clutter, driver distraction, competition for attention with other signs and other factors when making any decisions.

DTP encouraged road users to report any concerns about the condition of the arterial road network by calling 133 778.

DTP said they had repaired more than 8740 potholes across the Southern Grampians Shire since mid-2023, and more than 50,360 potholes had been repaired across the state’s south-west during the same timeframe.