Bernard Butler furious over pothole damage compensation rejection

Bernard Butler put in a claim for his ute and trailer after he hit potholes on the Kiewa Valley Highway and Lockharts Gap Road in June and July.

His application to recoup just over $1800 of his expenditure was rejected two weeks ago.

On Wednesday, the Victorian government heralded the first phase of a 10-year, $6.6 billion maintenance strategy with a "priority to patch and repair damage".

Mr Butler, one of hundreds of Border residents to have complained about appalling state of the roads, said he "would believe it when he sees it".

He travels from his Mitta Valley farm to Wodonga with his wife three times a week to see their doctor.

When his car and trailer hit a pothole causing $3000 damage on July 4, he applied for compensation to cover $1890 of his expenditure.

A letter to Mr Butler from the Department of Transport and Planning obtained by The Border Mail stated his application was rejected on the grounds that the DPT had "complied with its inspection, maintenance and repair obligations".

Mr Butler said what stuck in his craw was that the department rejected his claim reasoning that it had legally fulfilled its maintenance obligations and was therefore not liable for damage caused to his vehicle.

"They're advertising all the time on the telly that anything over $1500 they'll pay for," Mr Butler said. "I put in a bill for $1890 which is a bit short because it's cost me $3000 to fix all the damage.

"They reckon that in this area of road they got people working up here and that's not their problem, they say they've met their legal obligations - but it wasn't repaired when I hit the pothole.

"It's not just me - I reckon there are plenty of other people who have had their claims rejected on this nonsense reason that they're doing their job maintaining the roads - they're not.

"The pothole I hit on the Kiewa Valley Highway has since been filled, but there is now one directly next to it that's about eight inches deep and just as wide."

Mr Butler said he wouldn't engage a lawyer to contest the decision.

"What's the point," he said. "A lawyer will cost me more money but what hope do I have? Bill Tilley (Benambra MP) has taken the shocking roads issue to parliament so if nothing happens from that, what good is me taking it further going to do?"

The Department of Transport and Planning has been contacted by The Border Mail to query the rejection of Mr Butler's application.

Mr Tilley told The Border Mail his office was aware potholes identified on the Kiewa Valley Highway through June and July "had been there for months".

"When I wrote to the minister in July, I had no issue with saying the roads across the North East were the worst I'd seen in 17 years," Mr Tilley said.

"The $1580 threshold for damage caused by these potholes was unrealistic - we had pensioners and others with $600 damage bills they simply could not afford.

"Now they're rejecting claims that meet the threshold on the grounds that they were doing their job as per some bureaucratic gobbledygook, inspecting and fixing the road in a reasonable timeframe.

"Ask the people that use those roads, who had to pay for new tyres and rims, whether it was 'reasonable'."

On Wednesday, October 11, the Victorian government said between now and June 2024 road maintenance crews will be carrying out on-road repairs, inspecting and maintaining bridges, traffic lights and signage.

Its statement said most of the work would be delivered in regional Victoria to "future-proof roads to make sure they last".

"It comes on top of a massive maintenance blitz delivered over the past 12 months, which saw more than 1800 kilometres of the state's roads undergo rebuilding and repair work, including hundreds of major road rebuilding, resurfacing, and sealing works on the Western, Hume, Calder, Sunraysia and Murray Valley highways," the statement said.

"More than 370,000 potholes have been patched, 21,000 signs repaired or replaced, tens of thousands of kilometres of roadside grass and weeds have been mowed, slashed, and sprayed and more than 290,000 tonnes of snow have been shifted from roads across the state's Alpine regions."

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said: "We've already made record investments in repairing and maintaining our state's roads - our new, long-term road maintenance plan will deliver even better-targeted works and improved outcomes for Victorians.

"We know we are facing a significant and complex repair program after some of the worst floods in our state's history - that's why our plan is backed by a long-term funding commitment and data-driven plan to fix our roads."

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