Lead

The Victorian government will commit more than $1 billion to road maintenance and graffiti cleanup in the upcoming state budget, a package it calls a record for the state. But the announcement has drawn mixed reactions, with regional peak bodies and opposition figures warning that the funding may not be enough to tackle the state's deteriorating rural road network.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports from the ABC, Australia's public broadcaster, present contrasting emphases on the same budget announcement. One report highlights the government's framing of the funding as a record investment, focusing on the $1.04 billion total, the $64 million increase over the previous year's allocation, and the government's promise to fix 200,000 potholes. The other report leads with concerns from regional stakeholders who fear the funding falls short, noting that the government's own budget papers forecast fewer road repairs in the coming year compared to the last.

Key Claims

According to the ABC, the Victorian government has allocated $1.04 billion to fix roads and clean up graffiti, a figure that represents a $64 million (or just over 6.5 per cent) increase on the previous year's allocation. Both reports agree that 70 per cent of the funding will go to regional areas.

The government also plans to spend $36.9 million on cleaning graffiti and rubbish along major freeways such as the Monash, Calder and Hume, and funding will go towards mowing grass and spraying weeds along roadsides, as reported by a single ABC article.

However, the same budget papers show that the government plans to patch 74,000 square metres of Victoria's regional road network in the 2026-27 financial year, down from 95,000 square metres the previous year. The government exceeded its target for regional pothole repairs in 2025-26, according to the budget papers cited by the ABC.

A claim not yet independently verified is that the state government has secured 10 million litres of diesel as a strategic fuel reserve for agriculture; this appeared in only one of the two reports.

Perspectives

Premier Jacinta Allan defended the funding, citing the impact of extreme weather and flooding events across 2022, 2023 and 2024 that created "real challenges" on the road network, according to the ABC. She said the funding would cover the equivalent of fixing 200,000 potholes and prioritise Melbourne's 10 busiest freeways.

RACV head of policy James Williams, as quoted by the ABC, argued that investment in resealing roads was essential to prevent potholes from forming in the first place. He noted that the average pavement life span is about 15 years, and that the government should be resurfacing about 7 to 8 per cent of the state's roads each year to keep up with decay. Currently, he said, only about 2 per cent are being resurfaced.

Victorian Nationals leader Danny O'Brien, also quoted by the ABC, described the lack of preventative maintenance on Victorian roads as "a ticking time bomb." He said the budget does not deliver enough for regional Victorians.

Background

The funding increase comes amid lingering frustration among Victorian motorists about road quality. According to a 2025 report cited by the ABC, rural and regional areas host the most dangerous roads in Victoria, and some local councils say they are caught in an arm wrestle with the state government for funding to repair them. Hundreds of Victorians lodge claims each year for vehicle damage due to poor roads, though the ABC reports that only about one per cent are approved for compensation.