LRRCSC - INQUIRY INTO VICROADS' MANAGEMENT OF COUNTRY ROADS SUBMISSION NO: 305 RECEIVED: 16 JAN 2018 Dear Sir /Madam The day 3/7 /17 was a normal wet day for this time of the year. I was returning a CF A fire truck to its location which is my occupation.I do this for a living.I was driving on the Penshurst Hawkesdale road at a speed between 90 to 95 kph which is the speed for this area and vehicle.I had just passed the Abbey Hills fire station when I approached a slight right bend in the road when the next thing the vehicle was aquaplaning side ways on the wet road not using the brake pedal and taking the foot off the throttle the vehicle went off the road and got caught in the soft mud and rolled land half times the truck ended up on its roof in a drain I did not panic releasing the set belt I was able to get out of the truck as there was no windscreen which had popped out.I was able to turn off ignition switch.Going to the side of the truck check for fuel leaks that was still sealed then check the back offthe truck and turned the back motor fuel tap off at the same time got on the phone made a phone call to the boss telling him what happened .The next thing a lady turned up in a car and called out to me asking if I was okay she had phoned all the emergency services she then called out to come over to the side of the road so that she could see if I was okay (she was a nurse) with in about 10 to 15 minutes a ambulance turned up I was checked over. I was able tell them what had happened I was then taken to the Warrnambool hospital for more test and checks. I was in hospital for 24 hours ( please note I have been on this road many times) I came out of this accident with only a seat belt bruising This road and many others in this area have real problems they are poorly maintained patch here patch there. This is not what should be done (if it was Melbourne it would be fixed properly) What we need is less talk more action We all pay fuel taxes and rates. We need to get back to what the road repairs used to be local shire yards which can maintained the areas that they located in (Please note vehicles are bigger heavier and more of them on these types of roads)Nearly all roads have grass growing up to edge of them how does water drain off.They also have ridges on the leftside where heavy vehicles have made deep wheel tracks causing road users to driving on the white line Hot days causing the tar to melt the rough surface disappears causing a smooth surface no grip which on a wet days causes problems (please note the surface was tested it have between 5 to 7% less grip than the centre of the road ) No speed signs have been put in place or any real work done in this area. This area has had a no of accidents in less than 2 years but not reported What we need here is more action before someone is killed.We need less talk more positive action and seen to be doing something about fixing the bad problem.Please also note I have been on this road again many times since my accident the road has no improvements Road accident victim Barry Smith Email Shire can't-slash it all INFRASTRUCTURE *Great Ocean Road. BY ANTHONY BRADY *Hamilton Highway. Moyne *Hopkins Highway. *Princes Highway. MOYNE Shire Council has *Ayresford Road ( so'uth I I I moved to mark its territory of Cobden-Warmam- when it comes to its respon­ boolRoad). sibility with cutting grass in *C obd e n-Wa rrnam­ public spaces. bool Road. The council has released *Hamilton-Por t i, . a list outlining the roads Fairy Road. .,/ within the shire that are the *Koroit-Port Fairy Road. responsibility ofVicRoads. * Ko roi t-Wools th o r­ The release of the list peRoad. comes in the midst of a strong *Macarthur-Pe n- grass growing season follow­ shurst Road. ing a wet but warm end to *Mailors Flat-KoroitRoad. spring and start to summer. *Mortlake-AraratRoad. Moyne Shire mayor Mick *Myam yn-Ma car- Wolfe said council has re­ thurRoad. ceived lots of call frcim rate­ *Penshurst-Port payers regarding roadside Fairy Road. maintenance and slashing. ·*Penshurst-Warrnam- He said the council wel­ bool Road. comed the feedback but said *Spencer Road. there was nothing shire staff *Terang-Mortlake-Road. could do about issues with *Timb oon-Nulla- VicRoads-managed roads. warre�oad. "We always welcome in­ *Warrnambool-Caram­ put fromthe community, but ut Road. we don't have the authority *Wool s thorpe- Hey­ or resources to undertake wood Road. maintenance or slash road­ Anyone who wishes to sides on VicRoads-con­ contact VicRoads about a trolled roads as well as our grass maintenance issue, own;' Cr Wolfesaid. can do so at http:/ /www. In soutp.-west Victoria, vicroads.vie.gov. au/traf­ roads marked in yellow on fic-and- road-use/ report- a­ Google Maps are the domain road- issue ofVicRoads: White roads are Residents wanting to re­ under the authority of the quest the services of Moyne local shite .. Shire for maintenance can Befow is a list of roads Vi­ contact http://www.moyne.. cRoads-� are responsible for vie.gov.au/Contact-Us/Re- CUT BACK: Long gr,assalong the Princes Highway 1ri Killarney. The highway 1s the .