Date:13 July 2026

Rural Councils Victoria (RCV) has given a qualified welcome to Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson’s pledge to spend $5 billion on road repairs and maintenance over the next term of parliament, while pressing for detail on how much would reach country roads.

The pledge falls short of RCV’s own call for an additional $2 billion over four years dedicated to regional roads, which would have taken total statewide roads spending to around $6 billion.

RCV Deputy Chair Cr Kate Makin said the state of country roads had reached a critical point. “Anybody living in country Victoria knows our roads are in an atrocious state,” Cr Makin said. “Shoddy roads are death traps. They also damage cars, cost money, deter tourists and increase freight costs.”

Cr Makin said the sector needed a sustained funding commitment rather than short-term fixes. “We don’t need tinkering or top-ups. We need a real and sustained increase in roads spending. This plan appears to be on the right track.”

However, RCV said it would be seeking further detail before offering full endorsement, particularly on the split between metropolitan and regional funding. “How much will be going to metropolitan Melbourne, and how much will be going to country roads specifically?” Cr Makin said. “We want to make sure rural Victoria gets its fair share of this funding package.”

Cr Makin said the newly established Better Roads Victoria body sharing data and working more closely with councils would form part of the picture, but that RCV was still waiting on the Coalition’s plan for regional bridge repairs.

The pledge follows this year’s state budget, in which the Allan Labor Government cut its target for country bridge repairs by two-thirds.