The Vic Coalition wants drivers to go 110 km/h on the Princes Highway. Labor's Polwarth candidate wants to see the safety data first

“We’ve got to keep roads safe in proportion to their ability to hold cars running at that speed limit as well.”

Author

Zara Cuthbertson
July 15, 2026

Victoria has five major stretches of road with a 110-kilometre-per-hour speed limit and the state Coalition wants to bring that number to six. But West Vic Labor candidate for Polwarth Hutch Hussein has questioned whether the decision comes from research.

What happened: The Victorian Liberals and National parties have this week pledged to increase the speed limit on the Princes Highway between Colac and Laverton to 110 kilometres per hour.

  • Opposition leader Jess Wilson said in a statement the commitment would bring the proposed section of the road up to speed with “other comparable freeways” such as the Hume, Calder and Western freeways.

🗣️“People travelling on the Princes shouldn't be stuck in the slow lane, and under a Liberal and Nationals Government, they won't be,” she said.

  • Wilson said lower limits would still be in place through towns such as Winchelsea.

The background: The Princes Highway was duplicated from Colac to Geelong between 2016 and 2019.

  • The announcement follows a Coalition pledge to allocate $5 billion to “fixing one million potholes” statewide.

Questions for Coalition: Labor candidate for Polwarth, Hutch Hussein, argued decisions on speed limits “should be ones driven by evidence as well as community feedback”. 

🗣️ “The Department of Transport continuously monitors speed limits across the road network, and there's a rigorous review process, and those decisions are made on a-case-by-case basis,” she told the Brolga. 

“I think the Coalition needs to explain whether it’s about votes and neglect of safety, or just something that's kind of popular.”

  • Hussein said Labor has committed almost $3 billion in road maintenance since 2024.

🗣️“If the Coalition’s promising $40 billion in cuts, then road upgrades are going to be part of that as well. We’ve got to keep roads safe in proportion to their ability to hold cars running at that speed limit as well.”

How are speed limits set? Transport Victoria notes speed limits are set based on elements such as road environment, crash risk history, and how the road is used.

  • Areas with 110km/h limits are designed with additional infrastructure and safety measures in place.