O’Brien promises lasting Gippsland Road repairs as farmers speak up

Farmers have found themselves on the frontline of Victoria’s decaying regional road network, often having to rely on damaged routes every day to transport livestock, milk, produce, machinery and other supplies.

Calls for urgent action have recently been intensified as the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has been urging motorists to report every single pothole and road hazard, all while the Nationals and Liberals have promised to spend $5 billion repairing and rebuilding roads across the state.

VFF President Ryan Milgate said deteriorating roads were no longer an isolated issue, with rural drivers facing dangerous conditions throughout Victoria.

“Victoria’s country roads are the worst they have ever been, from the Murray River in the north to the coast in the south and west to the SA border,” Mr Milgate said.

“Many are literally falling apart, and some are straight-up death traps.”

The VFF launched a two-week regional road reporting blitz after road stakeholders were told formal reports played an important role in determining where repairs were prioritised.

Farmers often have to travel long distances on narrow or damaged roads, sometimes even while towing trailers, moving heavy machinery, or sharing the route with livestock and freight trucks.

Obstacles like potholes, collapsing shoulders, poor drainage and uneven surfaces can add to vehicle maintenance costs and create more risks when drivers are forced to brake or swerve suddenly.

The VFF said Victorian Budget figures showed planned regional road resurfacing and rehabilitation had fallen from 11.8 million square metres in 2021-22 to about 2.86 million square metres in 2026-27.

That shows a reduction of more than 75 per cent.

“Temporary patches are no substitute for rebuilding roads properly and drivers, farmers and all of our rural communities are paying the price,” Mr Milgate said.

The concerns are reflected locally, with several Bass Coast and South Gippsland roads included in RACV’s recent 2026 My Country Road Campaign.

RACV identified 52 dangerous sections of highway across regional Victoria after examining crash records and road safety standards.

Among those 52 sections of highway were many local roads.

The Bass Highway between San Remo and Wonthaggi, and between Wonthaggi and Leongatha was included.

Several sections of the South Gippsland Highway were also included, such as Foster to Leongatha, Foster to Yarram, Loch to Leongatha and Yarram to Sale.

The Strzelecki Highway between Leongatha and Mirboo North also appeared on the list.

Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, said the condition of regional roads could no longer be dismissed.

Ms Bath herself even recently had her windscreen smashed after an oncoming truck struck a pothole on the Traralgon-Maffra Road, sending debris towards her vehicle.

“Glass fragments showered the inside of my car, but the consequences could have been far more serious,” she said.

Following on from the $5 billion repair plan announcement, the Nationals Member for Gippsland South and Shadow Minister for Roads, Danny O’Brien, has said that Gippsland roads will get the attention they deserve.

“Gippslanders don't need to be told our roads are falling apart, they drive on them every day,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Gippslanders are constantly dealing with rough surfaces, potholes and roads that should have been repaired properly years ago.”

Mr O’Brien said the Nationals' roads plan would be backed by structural reform, including the creation of Better Roads Victoria to rebuild engineering expertise and improve accountability for road maintenance.

“We need to get back to fixing roads properly before they fail, not waiting until they become dangerous and then scrambling to patch them up,” he said.

“This plan is about delivering lasting improvements.”

The Nationals and Liberals said that their five-year road plan would eliminate one million potholes, lift repair standards and increase spending on preventative maintenance, drainage and roadside upkeep.

The Coalition’s proposed Fair Share Guarantee would also direct 25 per cent of new state infrastructure funding towards regional Victoria.

“Gippsland is one of the state's economic powerhouses. We produce the food, energy and resources that keep Victoria moving, yet we continue to miss out when infrastructure funding is handed out,” Mr O’Brien said.