The Victorian Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee yesterday tabled its interim report on VicRoads, which has 19,000 kilometres of country roads within its 25,000-kilometre network.

The report noted that all 335 submissions to the inquiry discussed the poor quality of rural and regional roads.

There was a strong response from the state’s south-west, from where most of the submissions made by individuals and organisations came.

Submissions revealed that key concerns related to potholes, lack of drainage, narrowness of roads, damage to private vehicles, overgrown roadside vegetation, and the use of wire rope barriers.

“It was clear from the number of submissions received and the high levels of dissatisfaction expressed that the poor quality of regional roads impacts on communities’ sense of safety and pride in their local environment,” the report said.

A submission from the Murray River Group of Councils – which counts Campaspe, Loddon and Gannawarra Shires among its members – wrote that the condition of the state’s regional road network was deteriorating.

The interim report made note of a Victorian Auditor-General’s Office 2017 report that revealed in the 10 years to 2015-16, pavement cracking and roughness increased in all country regions, and pavement deformation grew by 25 per cent across the state.

Many submissions to the inquiry attributed increased use of heavy trucks as a cause of worsening conditions, particularly in the south-west, but also elsewhere in the state.

“While the vehicle fleet has altered significantly, the road network, to a greater extent has stayed the same,” Rochester’s Alan Gardiner said.

A similar view was held by the Victorian Farmers Federation.

Rain and changing weather patterns were also identified as contributing factors.

Most of the submissions made by individuals spoke about VicRoads reducing speed limits on poorly maintained roads as a way to improve safety, rather than allocating funding to fix them.

The Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Transport Group said there was also a need to maintain good-quality roads to support and grow tourism.

Meanwhile, the Regional Cities Victoria group submitted that it was critical the state government contributed to road infrastructure that would support the growth and competitiveness of regional industries.

The inquiry’s submission process revealed concerns about the poor quality of maintenance work and the competency of contractors hired by VicRoads, with Northern Grampians Shire Council advocating for the return of in-house maintenance crews.

“The current contract patrol crews have enormous areas to cover and do it poorly,” the council said.

The need for more funding was a common issue raised by those who made submissions, the report said.

Central Goldfields Shire said “serious underfunding” meant VicRoads had rightly focused its expenditure according to fatalities and roads of higher traffic volume, but this had led to ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads receiving nothing beyond what was needed to keep them operational.

“There does not appear to be sufficient funds to undertake network modernisation and development,” the council wrote.

Last year the Auditor-General’s Office found there had been a 60 per cent decrease in VicRoads’ maintenance funding since 2010-11.

The Auditor-General’s Office said limited funding meant VicRoads’ approach to maintenance was reactive and did not include preservation works that would lead to long-term efficiencies.

But some submissions supported the current funding model, which gives funding allocation decisions to the regions.

The City of Ballarat said this model was appropriate as regional offices had local knowledge, and it facilitated direct communication between VicRoads and the council.

While some submissions suggested that funding and responsibility for all road maintenance and reconstruction be transferred to councils, others said local government would struggle under the huge task.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning suggested there needed to be clearer understanding of different road responsibilities between state and local government agencies.

The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia also said there should be improved co-ordination between local government and state agencies.

One of the inquiry’s terms of reference considered the option of dismantling VicRoads, and instead creating separate bodies for country and metropolitan roads.

Most individuals were in support of this, although several noted that there would have to be an increase in funding.

But some voiced concern that the creation of separate bodies would see funding swallowed by bureaucracy.

The report noted that five organisations also clearly supported the establishment of a separate country roads agency, including Campaspe Shire, so long as appropriate funding was available.

But most organisations that commented on this option were opposed.

“The concern with a separation of state road authorities into metro and regional is that it would create a further competition between these areas for the same pool of roads funding,” Pyrenees Shire Council said.

“The state road network needs to link both regional and metro areas with a singular approach to road management.”

The Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee recommends there be a full inquiry into the issue in the next parliamentary term.