Media release: GBAC calls for urgent country roads and bridges funding ahead of state election
Left to right: Cr Steve Venditti-Taylor, Julie Bartlett (Pyrenees Hay), Cr Tracey Hargreaves, Graham Howell (Howell Livestock Transport), Cr Owen Sharkey and Cr Tony Clark
The Greater Ballarat Alliance of Councils (GBAC) today launched its state election advocacy platform, calling on the Victorian Government to reinstate a long-term Country Roads and Bridges Program for regional Victoria.
GBAC said the program is needed to address growing pressure on council-managed road and bridge networks across western Victoria, where ageing infrastructure, rising freight demand and constrained funding are impacting safety, productivity and economic growth.
The launch was held at Bridge 5 on Avoca–Bealiba Road in Pyrenees Shire – a clear example of the infrastructure challenge being experienced across all six GBAC member councils.
“Bridge 5 reflects a wider issue across regional Victoria that GBAC is highlighting through its state election advocacy,” said GBAC Chair Cr Tracey Hargreaves.
“We are calling for a reinstated long-term Country Roads and Bridges Program that recognises the essential role council-managed networks play in freight, agriculture and connectivity across the state. Across GBAC councils, roads and bridges are under increasing pressure, with funding not keeping pace with need,” she said.
Bridge 5 on Avoca–Bealiba Road was built in 1942 and is currently load-limited to 45-tonnes, restricting access for heavy agricultural and freight vehicles.
This restriction forces heavy vehicles to take a 19-kilometre route compared to the direct 8.8-kilometre route along Avoca–Bealiba Road, increasing travel time, transport costs and inefficiencies for local industry.
It affects nearby businesses and agricultural producers such as Pyrenees Hay and Howell Livestock Transport, which face longer travel times, higher costs and reduced efficiency in moving goods.
Pyrenees Shire Council estimates it would cost $4 million to restore Bridge 5 to full load capacity and improve safety and connectivity.
Councils are responsible for a significant proportion of Victoria’s road network, yet current funding arrangements remain heavily concentrated on state-managed roads, leaving local governments to maintain extensive and essential infrastructure networks with limited resources.
In the lead up to the Victorian State election in November, GBAC is calling for the reinstatement of a long-term Country Roads and Bridges Program, alongside a broader package of state election advocacy priorities aimed at supporting regional growth, infrastructure delivery and local government capacity across western Victoria.
GBAC State election advocacy priorities:
As the Victorian State Election approaches on 28 November, GBAC is calling for commitments to practical, long-term investment across seven priority areas:
Reinstate the Country Roads and Bridges Program
Expand regional and rural public transport
Increase funding for digital connectivity
Increase funding for Regional Planning Hubs
Fund enabling infrastructure to unlock housing and industry
Maintain freight access through Sunshine Station
Reinstate the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund
Quotes attributable to GBAC Mayors & local stakeholders:
“Roads and bridges are a core function of council, and the cost of road construction, sealing and maintenance is increasing higher than our income.
My concern is our roads and bridges will become unsafe and inefficient without additional commitment to these direct and untied funds.”
– Mayor Cr Damian Ferrari, Pyrenees Shire Council.
"Duplication of Dyson Drive is Ballarat's highest priority road project and is located in our key residential growth area. The current Dyson Drive was built as a rural road at the fringe of Ballarat's urban area, and in the last decade the suburbs of Lucas and Alfredton have rapidly built up around it. Duplication will alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety for residents, commuters and businesses. We urgently need funding for project design and planning for a duplicated Dyson Drive.”
- Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves, City of Ballarat.
“Like many rural councils, we are now facing one of the toughest financial periods in decades. The reality is we cannot maintain our critical road networks without strong, ongoing State Government support.”
- Mayor Cr Ben Green, Central Goldfields Shire.
“Council is seeking funding to ensure the long-term preservation and use of the historic Wheelers Bridge which was closed in December 2025 due to safety concerns. The 125-year-old arch bridge was one of the first in Victoria to be completed using the early Monier system of reinforced concrete and is a beloved community asset.”
- Mayor Cr Tony Clark, Hepburn Shire Council.
“Council is seeking funding to deliver important upgrades that would otherwise take many years to complete. A good example is Post Office Road in Ross Creek. This is currently a narrow, single lane sealed road with power poles, significant trees and open drains positioned close to the carriageway, which presents safety concerns for road users. With funding support, Council would be able to widen a 1.8km section of the road to a safer, two-lane carriageway that delivers important safety improvements, including barriers. The project is estimated to cost approximated $1.5 million to complete.”
-Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey, Golden Plains Shire Council
“We are very supportive of the joint advocacy effort to ask the Victorian Government to re-instate the Country Roads and Bridges Program. With flood events and road degradation, we have roads and bridges that we would put forward to receive this funding, including very important projects such as the Woolpack Road bridge replacement and Ballan Meredith Road upgrade.”
– Mayor Cr Steve Venditti-Taylor, Moorabool Shire Council.