How a Brolga story born from tragic circumstances captures why local news matters

When someone dies in a car accident - whether it be in West Vic, or anywhere else - the effect on the local community can be profound.

When seven people die on the same stretch of road within eight months - including three in one incident - the grief ultimately turns to demands for answers and for action.

I learned about such a stretch - on the Western Highway at Buangor near Ararat - in June, after profiling photographer Darryl Edwards, the man behind the camera for Truckspotting Ararat. 

He told me about how his time getting to know truckies from across the country exposed him to the horrors many truck drivers face when hauling loads interstate.

He was also a witness to the first fatal crash. 

At the time, our chat was off the record, but I knew I wanted to dig a little further.  

In the period between first speaking with Edwards and actually writing the story, another person died in a crash, bringing the toll to eight. 

While all of this was happening, a local petition was also circulating - that petition ended up with more than 3,500 signatures, urging the government to finish the job they were supposed to complete five years ago and duplicate the highway.

So I got back in touch with Edwards to ask whether we could conduct a proper interview about it and he was generous with his time - the information he gave me from his experience as a witness to that crash, as a friend of many truck drivers and as an undertaker for the Victorian Coroner, was invaluable. 

After that story went out, the comments made clear how deeply the community feels about that road and how frustrated they are that virtually nothing has been done.

In the months since, the road has been reduced to an 80km/h speed zone, but the duplication of the highway is still no closer to fruition. 

Edwards’ willingness to dredge up something painful so a journalist could put it on the record really hit me. 

It confirmed to me why local news is so important, and what a privilege it is when people trust you to tell their stories.