The major roads in West Vic set to receive a slice of state’s $976 million pie

There have been dozens of serious crashes across Berrybank, Panmure and Port Fairy, some of them fatal.

Author

Zara Cuthbertson
October 27, 2025

A 3km stretch of the Hamilton Highway near Berrybank, which recorded 46 fatal and serious injury crashes between 2019 and 2023, is set for full rehabilitation under the Victorian Government’s $976 million Better Roads Blitz.

❓Is there more? Further repairs are planned along the Princes Highway West at Port Fairy and Panmure, with another 3.5km of the Hamilton Highway at Darlington also scheduled between now and mid-2026. 

Data from the Australian Road Assessment Program shows 18 serious crashes occurred near Panmure and 22 between Warrnambool and Port Fairy over the same five years.

The Department of Transport and Planning declined to comment on how much of the $976 million would be dedicated to these projects.

🏛️ The talk in Canberra: Wannon MP Dan Tehan addressed concerns about local roads in a recent interview with the Brolga, ahead of the state’s announcement.

He said the Coalition committed $60 million in 2019 for upgrades to the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, but argued Labor governments “sat on” the funding and were slow to act, and when works did begin, the state government “didn’t finish the job properly”.

“The inability for infrastructure, whether it be roads or rail, to be finished on time and on budget in a way which the community expects has been devastatingly disappointing,” Tehan said.

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The Brolga took a tour of the site this month.

🔬 Background check: The $60 million federal commitment was part of the national Princes Highway Corridor Strategy, published by the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure in 2019. 

  • The staged strategy, coordinated with the state government, meant the funding couldn’t be spent as a single lump sum.

  • In October 2023, Moyne Shire Council highlighted “major frustration for the community”, calling for “urgent clarification around the status of funding previously allocated to the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy”. 

Roadworks began under the state government in April 2022, with federal funding partnerships in 2024 to progress works along the corridor.

⏰ What’s next: Exact timelines for the upcoming road works are yet to be confirmed.