Council
26 June, 2025
MP slams government amidst rising fatalities
REGIONAL road fatalities have sharply risen while metropolitan road fatalities have fallen, leading a south west MP to question if government inaction has failed to address the underlying cause – the appalling state of roads.
Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell raised her concerns in Parliament last week while debating the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and other matters) Bill 2025.
She said the Minister for Roads and Roads Safety had failed to seize the opportunity to address the “appalling and worsening state of regional roads in south west Victoria” after new data revealed a stark disparity between deaths in metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Statistics from the Transport Accident Commission showed road fatalities in metropolitan Melbourne have dropped by seven per cent in 2025, while over the same period deaths on rural and regional roads have increased 23 per cent on last year.
“These are the very roads that this government continues to neglect,” Ms Britnell said.
“It is not just a safety issue – it is a matter of equity and common sense to maintain all roads.
“This horrific statistic of a 23 per cent increase in fatalities on rural roads should be a cause for deep concern and a wake-up call.”
Ms Britnell said the Victorian Government had ignored its responsibility to allocate proper funding and resources into fixing and maintaining roads.
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has been among those to express serious concern about the rising number of road fatalities in regional Victoria, particularly highlighting the poor condition of regional roads as a major contributing factor.
“Why is the Allan Labor Government silent on this contributing factor?” Ms Britnell said.
“Is it that they do not want to admit that their inaction for the past decade leaves them complicit for regional road deaths?”
Ms Britnell said the conditions of roads in the South West Coast electorate are “nothing short of dangerous” with road shoulders drop off by over a foot, making driving incredibly unsafe.
She said even basic safety measures such as white road line markings are either faded or non-existent, impacting vision and advanced driving aids in modern cars which rely on these markings to help drivers navigate the roads.
“In the south west, we often do not have enough bitumen for two lanes of traffic. Hence having to veer onto the shoulder and drop down dangerously into the gravel, when another car approaches,” Ms Britnall said.
“In metropolitan areas a ‘traffic hazard’ sign might indicate that there is a breakdown ahead or roadworks.
“In regional areas, the traffic hazard signs indicate the road itself is hazardous.”
Ms Britnell said it was “beyond belief” the government makes excuses, such as blaming weather conditions, rather than accepting responsibility for its own inaction.
“This is not about capability – it is about priorities and accountability,” she said.
“Other states, like South Australia, build stronger roads with fewer people and less budget. The technology exists.
“But here in Victoria, we build roads that crumble quickly, with no proper oversight and no consequences for poor-quality outcomes.
“This could have been the opportunity to address rural road safety – to embed proper funding, to lift standards and to stop the waste – but instead we see another opportunity squandered, and more regional lives put at risk.”
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