Freer’s Panel Works and 24 Hour Towing manager Chris Walker-Bartlett says they are still answering a high amount of call-outs to the Goulburn Valley Hwy.
Photo by
Hailey Wight
Improvements have been made to fix Goulburn Valley Hwy’s notorious potholes and more than $1 billion in ongoing maintenance is planned, but road users insist that problems remain.
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A Victorian Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said crews continued to regularly inspect the highway for repairs.
The department said it was developing a program of works as part of the Victorian Budget 2026/27’s $1.04 billion investment in road maintenance, with 70 per cent of the funding allocated to regional Victoria.
But that money and the maintenance can’t come soon enough for people using the highway.
Freer’s Panel Works and 24 Hour Towing manager Chris Walker-Bartlett said he didn’t know how long improvements on the highway would last.
Mr Walker-Bartlett said that number had halved but was still triple the 10 incidents the company would normally see in a week.
He acknowledged the patching of many potholes but suggested the recent drop in incidents was in part because many motorists had avoided the roads, and more work was needed.
The patches were “temporary fixes”, he said.
“They fixed areas on the Hume Hwy and Goulburn Valley Hwy after the major rain last month,” he said.
“But we’ve now had additional heavy rain, which seems to have opened up what they’ve fixed.
“The holes are still there.”
His message to motorists was simple: “Slow down and move over.”
Damaged road pavement on the Goulburn Valley Hwy south of Shepparton.
Photo by
Geoff Adams
Shepparton’s Jasmine Talarico has learnt to dodge potholes almost as quickly as she learnt to drive.
The 19-year-old has seen the road conditions change throughout the year, making the trip to Melbourne twice a week for university.
“The first thing Dad taught me was how to change a tyre,” she said.
It is a lesson that has already come in handy, with Ms Talarico changing a tyre on the highway just two weeks after getting her licence.
She said her first drive after university break in June was “pretty horrific”.
“I was very nervous … my mum didn’t want me to do the drive.”
Her second week back was a different story.
“The majority of them were filled in,” she said.
Following the most recent downpour Ms Talarico said, “It’s better, but not great. I still have to dodge them.”
“There’s got to be a better way to fix it,” she said.
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe said long-term investment was needed to properly address the condition of the roads.
“Many motorists every single day are hitting potholes, damaging their vehicles and then having to pay for expensive repairs due to no fault of their own,” she said.
Ms O’Keeffe said her office continued to be inundated with complaints from the public.
“We are in a road safety crisis,” she said.
Road users can report any hazards by calling 13 11 70.
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