Since the reports of two more car accidents on a notorious stretch of the Princes Highway at Kalimna West recently, one of them very serious, residents have been making themselves heard, pushing for a full assessment and subsequent repairs to make this section of road safer.
This includes local MPs who have been campaigning for many years to have a full evaluation of the road surface and recognition that this is an area urgently needing repair.
Local Federal MP Darren Chester and State MP Tim Bull met with two first responders last year and wrote and met with Roads Minister Melissa Horne about the issues, including that almost all accidents were occurring in wet conditions and seeking action.
Mr Bull reported temporary speed reductions were put in place as a result of that and were then advised by the Department of Transport (DTP) that an interim inspection found “the road surface and drainage at this location both appear to be functioning as expected”, but that a more in depth review would be undertaken by DTP which would include consultation with relevant stakeholders and road safety partners, including local police.
“The questions we need answered by the Minister or VicRoads are: Why as part of this in-depth review the government is not seeking wider community input from drivers? Why has the government not advised the community of the timeframes around when the review commenced and when it will be completed? Why has VicRoads not got permanent speed reductions in place until the review is completed?” Mr Bull said.
After the two recent collisions the DTP was still stating “that in line with our responsibilities under the Road Management Act (2004), we routinely inspect this stretch
of road and perform maintenance as required”.
SCREAMING FOR UPGRADES
State and Federal Transport Ministers who have repeatedly ignored urgent requests to fix this dangerous section of the Princes Highway have ‘blood on their hands’, according to Mr Chester.
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He said he had warned the Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne and Federal Minister Catherine King about the high frequency of crashes between Swan Reach and Lakes Entrance, with one corner the scene of multiple run-off-road and head-on accidents.
“Both Ministers have blood on their hands because they have been warned about the dangers of this stretch of road and refuse to take any permanent action on the corner which has been the scene of the most crashes,”
Mr Chester said.
“In 2023, I pleaded with them in writing to undertake a complete safety audit and meet with emergency service workers and tow truck drivers who knew the full tally of crashes on the Forestech corner.
“Minister Horne admitted that the Department of Transport didn’t have a full record of crashes because it relied on casualty reports to Victoria Police.
“If the police aren’t contacted, the data doesn’t reflect the number of incidents, but local tow truck drivers and the CFA certainly know how many times they are called out to crashes on that particular stretch of highway.”
Mr Chester said he had raised the issue again this year after a nearby resident raised safety concerns about the corner.
Minister Horne replied in writing that there were “no plans to implement major changes at the bend” because “no conditions have been identified that would support such improvements”.
The Minister wrote: “A review of crash data from the past five years reveals one serious injury crash, and Victoria Police concluded that the road design was not a contributing factor. If other crashes have occurred at this location, I understand they have not been officially reported to Victoria Police or included in the records.”
Mr Chester said the Minister should stop blaming drivers and take some responsibility for the condition of the road.
“They don’t even know how many crashes have occurred at the corner,” Mr Chester said.
“The suggestion from the Minister that the road surface and drainage are functioning as expected and the road is in an acceptable condition is an insult to motorists’ intelligence and shows no respect for the local emergency service crews who are traumatised by repeatedly attending serious crashes along this section of the Princes Highway.
“On the one hand, the Minister says there’s nothing wrong with road, and this week
there’s six new temporary speed restriction signs in place.
“The Ministers should stop relying on advice from bureaucrats and actually drive from Sale to the New South Wales border themselves and experience the conditions first-hand.
“At a time when road deaths and trauma are increasing across Victoria, it is staggering that we are not listening to the locals, and seeing a focus on improving the condition of the road network work to save lives and reduce serious injuries,” Mr Chester said.
REPAIRS COMING, BUT WHEN?
Over the past few days executive director Gippsland and capital delivery at DTP, Beth Liley, has announced some hope for repairs, but it may not be until next year.
Ms Liley stated in February the DTP completed pavement resealing works on a section of the Princes Highway on the approaches to the bend, however the bend itself was not included in these pavement works. A further five kilometres of resealing works is scheduled between November 2025 and March 2026, which will include the bend. This will improve traction in wet conditions.
“In May 2024 DTP installed warning signing over a 5km section of Princes Highway including the bend consisting of ‘Slippery when Wet’ signs and ‘Advisory 85km/h Speed Warning’ signs to improve road safety,” she said.
“DTP is arranging a temporary speed reduction from 100km/h to 80km/h through the bend to further enhance safety until the resealing works are completed.
“DTP is also conducting further investigations into the road conditions and design at the bend to identify potential improvements,” Ms Liley said.
Local residents are questioning why the most dangerous part of the highway was not the priority for resealing in February and whether a full examination of the dangerous corner has been fulfilled.
Alan Chandler knows first-hand the regularity of accidents along this section of road as he lives right next to it.
“This notorious corner has an almost direct relationship between rain and accident and has been that way for many years. Many, many accidents have resulted in injuries and indeed death,” he said.
“One of the recent accidents involved an emergency airlift, with the helicopter making an incredible and, in itself possibly dangerous, landing on Princes Highway itself. It was among trees and in a decent wind.
“The DTP can issue all the spin they like, but in this case, it is so evident that something drastic has to be done before any more deaths occur due to their inaction.
“The locals are only too well aware of the danger this stretch of road represents and can tell you of the severity of the accident by the number and types of attending vehicles. They have been complaining about it for years. It’s shocking and unacceptable.
“It needs a full examination of why these
accidents occur on this piece of road as opposed to anywhere else and I don’t see resealing without an expert study being the answer,” Mr Chandler said.
