Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (17:58): (1412) My adjournment this evening is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action I seek is for the minister to instruct the Department of Transport and Planning to immediately begin works to repair the Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road C363.

In the two years I have been a member for Northern Victoria no issue has been raised by my constituents more than the unsafe condition of the Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road. From its start at Katamatite to its end at Congupna, the condition of the road surface is abysmal. Rutting, bubbling, cracking, undulating and potholed, the Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road is a test of drivers’ skills and patience. In most spots there is no way for drivers to safely avoid these dangerous conditions. Drivers have complained of damage to tyres, rims and undercarriages and of wheel alignments and balance thrown off, all at the cost of motorists to repair. These repairs may run into many hundreds of dollars, with no compensation unless these costs run to more than $1800 each. Registration keeps going up and fuel costs keep going up, yet the condition of our roads is getting worse. In September 2024 the minister responded to my question on the condition of the Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road, saying:

DTP has informed me that Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road is inspected every two weeks. Where hazards are present, they are repaired within the required timeframes.

Perhaps the inspectors need their eyes checked, because nothing has been done to fix the dangerous rutting, bubbling, cracking, undulating and potholes. The minister’s answer begs the question of what the required timeframes are – six months, 12 months or until there is a terrible accident, possibly leading to the loss of life. Who knows? I have personally driven the Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road and witnessed a B-double truck hitting these dangerous surfaces and swerving into the oncoming lane. Had there been a car coming the other way, it would have been catastrophic. It is just pure luck that there has not been a serious incident on this road, so the action I seek is for the minister to direct the Department of Transport and Planning to immediately begin works to properly repair the Katamatite-Shepparton Main Road C363.