General News
18 June, 2026
Questions remain on cancelled roadworks
MEMBER for South West Coast Roma Britnell MP has accused the Allan Labor Government of “arrogance and complacency” after being stonewalled in her attempt to get answers as to why the planned Princes Highway works at Panmure have not yet begun.
The Victorian Government announced earlier this year roadworks on a one kilometre stretch of the Princes Highway at Panmure, between Ellerslie-Panmure Road and Harris Street, were set to begin in March and completed in April.
With works having failed to begin, Ms Britnell contacted the Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ros Spence seeking clarification.
Ms Britnell contacted the Minister on April 27 seeking clarity on why the roadworks had not been completed – seeking answers as to why the April completion date was not met, the current status of the project, a revised completion timeline and clarity on what steps were being taken to minimise further disruption.
In a response which Western District Newspapers has seen, Ms Spence provided no direct answers, saying the planning works were continuing and would be carried out soon.
The response then went on to cite the $976 million Better Roads Blitz in 2025-2026 and the $1.04 billion allocated under the program in the 2026-2027 Victorian Budget, the largest single year investment in the state’s history.
Ms Spence also cited a $300 million fund from the Federal Government to improve the Princes Highway.
Ms Britnell said the response completely ignored the immediate issue facing motorists at a time when communities were not interested in “spin cycles and press releases about future funding, but in roads that are safe and properly maintained now”.
Heavy rainfall in recent weeks has further worsened already deteriorating road conditions in the weeks which followed, which Ms Britnell said has resulted in significant damage to multiple vehicles and increasing the risk of a serious crash.
“The Minister’s response was the height of arrogance,” she said.
“It completely failed to address the real issue – why planned roadworks were cancelled and why motorists are now left driving on dangerous, deteriorating roads.
“Regional Victorians are not interested in spin or budget announcements.
“They want safe roads that are maintained properly and consistently.”
Ms Britnell said the cancellation of planned works, followed by worsening conditions after rain, demonstrated a clear failure in coordination, accountability and urgency within the Department of Transport and Planning.
“The cancellation of scheduled works followed by heavy rain has left sections of the Princes Highway in an alarmingly dangerous condition, and motorists are paying the price for this failure in planning and accountability,” she said.
“Instead of answering the question, the Minister hid behind press releases and broad funding figures that do nothing to fix the immediate safety risks facing our community.
“This is yet another example of a tired and arrogant Allan Labor Government that is out of touch with regional Victoria and unwilling to take responsibility when things go wrong.”
Ms Britnell said regional motorists deserve accountability, not evasive answers and headline funding announcements which fail to fix immediate safety risks.
“The Liberals continue to call for urgent action to repair dangerous sections of the Princes Highway and for a transparent explanation as to why scheduled works were cancelled without adequate mitigation measures being put in place,” she said.