By KATRINA BRANDON

 

VICTORIA, the pothole state.

Potholes are nothing new for Victorian road users, but in recent times they have turned into an Armageddon of potholes on main and country roads.

Driving back from Melbourne, Bairnsdale driving instructor Steven Stagg said enough is enough.

“People use the expression, ‘I was dodging potholes like dodgem cars’. I was literally dodging potholes from left to right in certain sections of the highway,” he told the Express.

“If you (were to) take your attention off when you drive, you should always be mindful, but because it’s become so extreme, you have to keep your undivided attention on the road surface. Now that’s not ideal, because when you’re driving, you want to take in the whole street scene, the whole roadscape.”

Mr Stagg highlighted that the issue isn’t just confined to a few areas but is evident right across Victoria.

According to the Transport Accident Commission, a total of 232 people lost their lives on Victorian roads this year. This is a 2.5 per cent increase (seven additional lives were lost) from the same time in the previous 12-month period, from January 2025 to the end of December 2025.

Latrobe ranks among the LGA’s highest numbers of lives lost, with a total of seven. Wyndham ranks the highest with 15; Knox (12), Moira (10), Ararat, Hume and Yarra Ranges (nine) each; Casey, Corangamite and Whittlesea (eight) each; Latrobe, Macedon Ranges, Melton and Mildura (seven) each; Brimbank, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong, Monash and Wangaratta (six).

“You’re 4.2 times more likely to die on a country road than a city road. People forget that,” Mr Stagg said.

“We’re more likely to die than our city cousins, and we travel on average twice as much, which means we’re exposed to the risk twice as much.”

A common point people mentioned, including Mr Stagg, is that if cars need to be roadworthy, then roads should be car-worthy. He said that if drivers ensure they keep up “their end of the bargain,” the government should uphold its as well.

Mr Stagg shared his frustration via his businesses social media account.

“I was compelled to put my brand on the line, my driving school brand, to make a point saying action is required real quick, and we need a resolution, a long-term resolution,” he said.

The Department of Transport (DTP) manages freeways, arterial roads, toll roads, and certain non-arterial roads, which make up about 15 per cent of Victoria’s roads.

A department spokesperson said critical works were underway to ensure the safety of all motorists.

“We’re investing a record $1.04 billion to rebuild, repair and resurface roads across Victoria – with 70 per cent of the funds going to regional Victoria, including in the state’s east,” a DTP spokesperson said.

“Maintenance teams are currently out fixing roads throughout Latrobe Valley and right across the state – and continue to regularly inspect the road network for repairs.

“Our focus is on keeping our roads safe following recent heavy rainfall and storms across the state.”

Managing more than 1500 kilometres of local roads, Latrobe City Council aims to take a “proactive approach to maintaining the local road network, including a cyclical program of road resurfacing, drainage improvements and pavement repairs to help protect roads from water damage and extend their lifespan”.

Latrobe City Council Chief Executive, Steve Piasente, said council hopes to resurface around 40 kilometres of local road surface in 2026/27.

“Following periods of significant rainfall, potholes can develop quickly as water impacts road surfaces,” he said.

“Council inspects and repairs potholes on local roads as a priority, and encourages residents to report potholes or other road maintenance issues through council’s online reporting tool, Snap Send Solve, or by contacting council directly.”

On Sunday, August 30, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll, announced that the state government was considering investing an extra $352 million to double the number of potholes fixed this year – from 250,000 to 500,000.

“This is absolutely where Victorians want to see their money spent – it is my priority,” the Premier said.

“The condition of our roads is not good enough.

“I respect your money, and I have made common-sense decisions to show how we can afford it.”

Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, responded to the announcement that after 12 years of road neglect, Victorians won’t believe Mr Carroll’s “con job” on road maintenance.

“Ben Carroll was Roads Minister when $214 million was cut from road maintenance over two years. He was there when Labor oversaw $15 billion lost to corruption on the Big Build while our roads were reduced to goat tracks,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Now on the eve of an election, he expects Victorians to believe he will fix the roads after 12 years of ignoring them? Labor has never fixed more than 200,000 potholes in a year and now wants us to believe they’ll fix half a million in six months? Spare me.”