Published: 07 February 2018
Author: Stringer Clark TAC Law team

Road works underway in South-west Victoria

During the last 18 months, we have joined many other members of the community to lobby for better road conditions in the south west of Victoria.

As a local lawyer, I see the trauma created by road accidents more often than I would like. It’s important to each and every one of us that the authorities make the roads as safe as possible in order to prevent accidents, injury and fatalities on our roads.

In October 2016, we launched a series of blogs around ‘Why have roads in the South-West been forgotten?’ It is reassuring that we live in a country where the voice of the people is heard and change can and does occur.

We are pleased to see that work is underway to improve some of the worst road conditions in the South West. Large roadworks and resealing is in progress at roadworks between Heywood and Branxholme in Portland. It’s a good start and hopefully it will continue throughout the coming weeks and months.

Our lives depend on it

The latest census reinforced that rural and regional Victoria has grown faster in the past 12 months than anywhere else in Australia.

In December 2017, it was reported that the damage bill for severe defects on VicRoads-managed roads in Warrnambool has been estimated at $15 million by an independent engineer.

It was also revealed that Warrnambool City Council is seeking $300 million from the state government to improve the Princes Highway west of Colac.

Meanwhile, in Ballarat residents have also voiced their growing concern over unsafe roads due to lack of maintenance.

This only reinforces that the maintenance of our country roads is vital if we are serious about creating safety on our roads.

Stay safe.