Council
24 September, 2025
Mayors united call for change
THE mayors of Corangamite Shire, Moyne Shire and Warrnambool City have united in a powerful call to the Victorian Government – fix the Cobden-Warrnambool Road, now.
Corangamite Shire mayor councillor Kate Makin, Moyne Shire mayor councillor Karen Foster and Warrnambool City mayor councillor Ben Blain said the road’s condition has reached a critical point, posing unacceptable risks to residents, businesses and visitors.
“This road is a disgrace,” Cr Makin said.
“It’s crumbling, unsafe and ignored.
“Our communities are fed up with being treated as second-class when it comes to infrastructure.”
Despite being a key regional connector and alternative to the Princes Highway, the Cobden-Warrnambool Road was entirely overlooked in the Victorian Government’s $964 million 2024-25 road maintenance blitz.
The road has been subject to reduced speed limits and warning signage due to surface degradation, particularly near Glenfyne, yet no firm timeline for repairs has been provided by the Department of Transport and Planning.
Cr Foster stressed the importance of this road for the community.
“The Cobden-Warrnambool Road is an important corridor for the region’s primary producers and is widely used by heavy freight carriers, buses and many other motorists and cyclists,” she said.
“The surface of the road is increasingly causing significant concerns for all types of vehicles, with accidents and damage frequently reported.
“Our local roads must be at an acceptable safety standard for all users, in any weather conditions.”
The situation is made worse by the recent announcement in the 2025-26 Victorian Budget of a $976 million Better Roads Blitz.
Yet, no list of targeted roads has been released, leaving communities in the dark about whether this vital route will finally be addressed.
“We all know how important this road is to the south west community,” Cr Blain said.
“Unfortunately, it’s symptomatic of many arterial roads across our region.
“They’re not the roads you would expect to drive on within a state that has a developed economy.
“The bottom line is they’re not safe and many are no longer fit-for-purpose.”
The three councils are calling on the Victorian Government to publicly commit to repairing the Cobden-Warrnambool Road and to provide a list of roads included in the upcoming blitz.
“We’re calling for transparency and quality repairs, not just patch jobs that don’t last,” Cr Makin said.
“Our communities deserve better, and we won’t stop until they get it.”
In response to questions from Western District Newspapers, Michael Bailey, Executive Director Barwon South West and Grampians provided a generic reply to concerns about the road.
“We’re delivering routine repair works along Cobden-Warrnambool Road so drivers can benefit from smoother and safer journeys,” he said.
“We encourage all drivers and community to report any concerns about the road network by calling 13 11 70.”
Western District Newspapers also reached out to the Minister of Roads and Road Safety for comment but did not hear back prior to publication.
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