“You never know when you’re gonna need a rescue”: West Vic locals still need convincing despite state’s $1 billion road repair commitment

It’s a bumpy ride down the Western Freeway and throughout the regions surrounding Ballarat. 

Newington resident Christian Dymock knows this all too well, with several encounters with neglected roads he says have cost him thousands. 

🗣️: “My wife and I were driving home from Melbourne at about 1am, down Cuthberts Road. It was during that flooding, they called it something like ‘once in a century’. It opened up the potholes left, right and centre.” 

“There was a pothole you couldn’t see because it was filled with rain, reflecting back up. The car made an almighty bang. It shocked my wife awake.”

Dymock had driven through a pothole that ended up being 20 centimetres deep, damaging two of his tyres and causing concern about the suspension of the vehicle itself.  

“I don’t drive a small car. You have to wonder what would happen if someone with a Nissan Micra or something had driven through the spot.” 

Dymock was told by council that until the total cost of the damage crept closer to $1500, he would be completely liable. 

“If that happens once, twice, three times, you’re looking at the cost of a secondhand car.”  

🌏 The bigger picture: Last week, the Victorian Government announced its budget for 2026 - 2027. It included a $1 billion commitment for roads, with 70 percent of this allocated to the regions. 

Minister for Roads Ros Spence declared it a “record investment” that would see approximately 200,000 potholes fixed, as well as updates to bridges, signage and arterial roads.  

And repair is needed. So bad is the damage in some parts of the state that certain stretches have picked up nicknames. A portion of the Western Highway, between Ballarat and Stawell, has been labelled “the death stretch” with more than 170 crashes between 2015 and 2024. It’s just one of many lengths of road in the region in desperate need of repair. 

Not so sure: After years of pothole-ridden infrastructure caused by increasingly severe extreme weather, locals have been lukewarm on the announcement. 

🗣️: “Basic maintenance that has been postponed is not an election or even budget platform,” Ballarat local Andrew Robinson told the Brolga. “If I do not spend $10 on maintenance over four years and after four years I suddenly say ‘look, I’ve got $40!’, it’s nothing special. It’s not additional money.”  

Local doubts: Ballarat local Rachael Gauci welcomed the extra funding, but said the key was "consistent long-term investment, not short-term patchwork”. 

“From Melbourne to Portland, poor road conditions aren’t just an inconvenience, they impact safety and cost of living, with longer travel, vehicle damage, and increased risk. Especially in bad weather.” 

Past promises: Western Victorians could be forgiven for thinking they’ve been here before. In 2025, the state budget promised $1.2 billion to improve safety, congestion and tackle potholes. But the 2025 announcement, while the same amount, lacked the explicit regional focus. 

High hazards: Some stretches of road are considered especially hazardous, like Haddon-Windemere Road. 

“We all joke about it”, said Dymock. “You feel like you’re on a roller coaster. We call it the rainbow road because you never know when you’re gonna need rescue. You’re contending with kangaroos, the conditions on the road itself with no lighting except the main roundabouts.”

There could be damage to the suspension, the chassis. Unless you know what you’re looking for, you don’t know what damage is done. It’s Russian roulette every time you get in the car”.