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Victoria Labor proposes prisoner labor plan for road maintenance ahead of election

The proposed initiative would use minimum-security prisoners for basic roadside upkeep to free up crews to repair 500,000 potholes.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 03:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced a plan to deploy minimum-security prisoners for basic roadside maintenance if Labor is re-elected in November.
  • The initiative aims to direct skilled labor toward fixing 500,000 potholes by the end of January, supported by a $352 million boost to the road maintenance budget.
  • Legal advocacy groups criticized the proposal over prisoner pay rates, which range from $7.15 to $9.80 per day.
  • Implementation depends on the outcome of the November election, where road maintenance has become a key campaign topic.

Key facts

  • Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced a proposed pilot program with Corrections Victoria to use supervised, minimum-security prisoners for roadside maintenance if Labor wins re-election in November.[The Guardian]
  • The government plans to increase the road maintenance budget by $352 million to patch 500,000 potholes by the end of January, partially funded by delaying level-crossing removals in Highett and Mentone.[The Guardian]
  • Corrections Victoria currently pays incarcerated individuals between $7.15 and $9.80 per day, with 20% compulsorily set aside as forced savings until their release.[The Guardian]
  • Greg Barns SC of the Australian Lawyers Alliance criticized the initiative as cheap labor, arguing participating prisoners should receive standard award rates to assist post-release integration.[The Guardian]
  • The Victorian government committed to bringing road maintenance back under direct public administration and launching a website to report and track pothole repairs.[The Guardian]
  • The state opposition pledged a $5 billion road repair plan to fix 1 million potholes if elected in November.[The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether the pilot program will be established depends on the outcome of Victoria's state election in November.[The Guardian]

Sources