Victoria adds road funding as poor pavement conditions draw political scrutiny

The short version

• Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced an extra $300m to repair 500,000 potholes by the end of January.[The Guardian]
• An auditor general report revealed that 48% of examined state roads are in poor or very poor condition.[The Guardian]
• The Department of Transport sought $3bn annually for upkeep, but the 2026-27 state budget provided $1.04bn.[The Guardian]
• The opposition Coalition has countered with a pledge of $5bn across four years to fix one million potholes.[The Guardian]

Key facts

• An auditor general report found that 48% of examined roads across Victoria were in poor or very poor condition.[The Guardian]
• The Victorian government budgeted $1.04bn for roads in 2026-27, below the $3bn annual sum requested by transport officials.[The Guardian]
• Premier Ben Carroll announced $300m in additional funds to repair 500,000 potholes by January.[The Guardian]
• The opposition Coalition promised $5bn over four years to repair one million potholes.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Labor has had 12 years to fix Victorian roads. Turning to ‘pothole populism’ now may be too lateThe Guardian - World