Report on Country Roads

- -- ~ • • • I VICTORIA ,. • • • VICTORIAN TRANSPORT STUDY ... REPORT ON • COUNTRY ROADS • - - • - I Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed ..• • • I F. D. ATKINSON, GOVERNMENT PRINTER MELBOURNE 1980 • I No. 38 VICTORIAN TRANSPORT STUDY The Honourable R.R.c. Maclellan, M.L.A., Minister of Transport, 570 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE, VIC., 3000. Dear Mr. Maclellan, I have the pleasure to submit herewith a report on Country Roads. This is one of a series of reports being prepared to make known the results of the Victorian Transport Study. Yours sincerely, ~~~ W.M. Lonie COUNTRY ROADS CON TENTS Summary 1. Introduction 2. The Existing Road System and ihs Present and future Usage 3. The Draft Transport Plan 1978 4. Submissions 5. The Main Issues 6. Strategy for Road Development 7. Cone lusions B. Recommendations SUMMARY The country road network in Victoria is generally accepted as being a high standard system as a result of widespread development of roads with saaled surfaces throughout the closely settled areas of the State. There are however limitations to the traffic that a large proportion of the system can carry because much of it was developed, using low cost stage construc tion techniques, when traffic volumes and vehicle weights were far less than today. There is considerable concern throughout the State that funds available for maintenance and develop ment of the road system to cater for foreseeable traffic needs are not sufficient. There is also concern that deterioration in the State's most valuable transport assets could occur from reducing levels of maintenance, including the rate of resealing and reconstruction, as a result of increasing costs, and in the absence of substantial additions to the funds available for the purpose. Whilst the extent of the contributions by both Commonwealth and State Governments to the task of maintaining and developing the road system is recognised, the part played by local government authorities is equally important but not so widely recognised. The finance for the local government contribution to roads is however reaching finite limits, and there is a need for increased contributions at State and Federal levels for reconstruction and development of roads to meet standards required for present and likely future traffic. 1 • 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The State of Victoria now has a population of just over 3.8 million, of which approximately 1.1 million reside in the cities, towns and rural areas outside the Melbourne metropolitan area. In the State there is one registered motor vehicle for each two persons, and the safe and efficient movement of persons and freight throughout the State is a key factor in the economic development of Victoria and in the well being of its people. 1.2 The road network provides the primary means of land surface transport in Victoria. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics there were approx imately 28,700 million vehicle kilometres of travel in Victoria in 1976, of. which over 12,000 million were on the State's road system outside the Melbourne metro politan area. 1.3 In Victoria, roads have long been a concern of Government. As early as November 1851, the Government appointed a Select Committee to inquire into, and report on, the state of roads and bridges in the Colony. As a result of the Committee's report, the Government in 1853 passed an Act to establish a Central Roads Board with exclusive powers over main roads. It also provided for District Roads Boards to construct and maintain local roads. 1.4 Over the next twenty years, responsibility for the construction and maintenance of roads was altered further by several Acts. These Roads Boards were basically the fore-runner of local Government in the State. The last of these Boards disappeared with the passing of the Local Government Act of 1874. 1.5 By 1910 it had become increasingly apparent that there was a need for a central road authority to assume responsibility for main roads. The Country Roads Act 1912 established the Country Roads Board, which commenced operations in 1913. The Board made detailed surveys of road needs, and road making and maintenance practices, and bagan to develop a State-wide road network. 2. 1.6 By the 1920's, motor vehicle numbers began to increase significantly, and to play an important role in the movement of persons and goods. In 1924 the Government passed the Highways and Vehicles Act, which provided for the declaration of State highways, the construction and maintenance of which were to be fully funded by the Country Roads Board. This Act recognised the importance to the economy of the motor vehicle and longer lines of communication, and it removed the burden of providing for long distance "through" traffic from the municipalities through which the routes passed. 1.7 Later Acts provided for tourists roads, forest roads and bypass roads (now called freeways). 1.8 Much of the road system was constructed at a time when traffic volumes and vehicle weights were far less than today, using low cost construction tech niques, including the use of local materials, the staged construction of pavements, and the use of sprayed surface seals. In recent years there has been a cont inuing increase in traffic volumes, and in the numbers, size and weight of commercial vehicles. At the end of 1975 the recommendations of a Study of The Economics of Road Vehicle Limits were released, and subsequently endorsed by the Australian Transport Advisory Council. In November 1976 the Victorian Government authorised the Country Roads Board to issue permits for vehicles up to limits recommended by this Study, pending an amendment of the Motor Car Act. As a result, vehicles with a gross mass of 38 tonnes are now permitted on Victorian roads. 1.9 The continuing increase in traffic volumes, and in the size and weight of vehicles has been such that many sections of the road system are now in need of improvement. However, because of the limited funds that are available, the rate of reconstruction and development of the road system is far less than is necessary to cater for present and likely future traffic. 1.10 This report deals with country roads, which for purposes of the report are defined as all Victorian roads, excluding those in the Melbourne metropolitan area. A separate report has been prepared on Metropolitan Roads. 3. 1.11 The Study Group has received a number of submissions related to roads outside the metropolitan area. It has also travelled extensively throughout the State, and has had many discussions with municipal Councils and other groups on the same topic. Almost without e.xcep ti on, concern about the state of the road s ys tern, and the lack of fullds for road works, has been expressed. 1.12 This report firstly described the existing road system and its usage. It mentions the Draft Transport Plan 1978, and then summarises the various submissions made to the Study. The report indicates that road travel throughout the State is likely to continue to increase in the foreseeable future, although the rate of growth may be slightly less than in the recent past. 1.13 The report outlines the main issues that have been raised during the Study, the predominant one being the need for additional road funds. A strategy for development of the road system is described, and the report concludes with appropriate recommendations. 4. 2. THE EXISTING ROAD SYSTEM AND ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE USAGE The Existing Road System. 2.1 According to a comprehensive submission by the Country Roads Board to the Study, the existing road system for the State, excluding the Melbourne metro politan area, comprises a total of approximately 142,000 kilometres. 2.2 Under the provisions of the Country Roads Act, the Board may, subject to the confirmation of the Governor-in-Council, ''declare" any road to be a State highway, a freeway or a main road. The Board can also recommend to the Governor-in-Council that any road be proclaimed as a tourists' road or a forest road. 2.3 The Board, through funds made available to it, meets the full cost of works to cater for the needs of through traffic on State highways, freeways, tourists' roads and forest roads. 2.4 State highways and freeways, while serving the immediate district through which they pass as arterial roads, also carry a considerable volume of long distance traffic. 2.5 Tourists' roads and forest roads generally pass through areas where little or no rate revenue is available to the local municipality. 2.6 Main roads, the construction and maintenance of which are partly borne by local municipal Councils and partly by the Country Roads Board form what may be described as the principal secondary system of important roads in the State. 2.7 In addition, there is a large network of unclassified roads, many of which carry considerable traffic and for which municipal Councils are responsible. However, the Country Roads Board may provide some finan cial assistance for construction and maintenance works. 5. 2.8 The Country Roads Board's submission to the Study shows that the existing road system for the State, excluding the Melbourne metropolitan area, is made up as follows:- Freeways 173 km State Highways 6,615 km Main Roads 13,339 km Tourists Roads 767 km Forest Roads 1,031 km Unclassified Roads 120,000 km (approx.) 142,000 km (approx.) 2.9 The declared road system i.e. those roads in the first 5 categories in this list, is shown in Figure 1. 2.10 Two of the State highways are designated national highways - the Hume highway between Melbourne and Wodonga, and the Western highway between Melbourne and the South Australian border.

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