Load limits on Victorian bridges 'wreaking havoc' on agricultural industry

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In Natte Yallock in Central Victoria, locals say a load limit on a bridge is wreaking havoc on the agricultural industry, adding more than 80km to some truck drivers' trips. The 84-year-old Avoca-Bealiba Road bridge in the Pyrenees Shire effectively banned most heavy agricultural and freight vehicles from using it. Pyrenees Hay manager Julie Bartlett said every extra kilometre trucks had to travel affected her business and the local agricultural industry. For her, it's a financial cost because her trucks have to travel an extra 30 or 40km to get here and also that distance back.

The change to the load limit of 45 tonnes in the Avoca-Bealiba bridge meant that B-double trucks heading to a nearby hay processing facility had to add about 80 kilometres to their round trip. The Pyrenees Hay is located about 10km away from the bridge. Ninety percent of her trucks that come in here are B-doubles, which are not allowed to use that road. She said the added cost of travelling an extra 30 to 40km each way was huge for her business.

Howell Livestock Transport's Graham Howell is another truck driver who cannot use the Avoca-Bealiba Road due to the lower bridge limit, adding 12km to every trip he takes through the region. Mr Howell said that during a time when fuel costs are sky-high, every kilometre counts. The whole road network is going backwards and has been for the last few years, especially now as the trucks are getting bigger.

Regional Victorian councils are facing growing financial pressure and struggling to maintain their existing deteriorating road and bridge networks. As a result, some councils have lowered load limits and speed limits to prolong road infrastructure.

In the state's east, residents frustrated by the lowering of speed limits on country roads have taken to vandalising street signs. The Victorian government has cut regional bridge repair targets from 22 this financial year to seven.

Ahead of the Victorian election, the Greater Alliance of Ballarat Councils is calling on the Victorian government to reinstate a long-term country roads and bridges program for regional Victoria. Each of the six councils within the alliance — Central Goldfields, Ballarat, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Moorabool and Pyrenees — said the anticipated cost of sealing and maintaining roads is higher than its income.

The Victorian government said it had delivered a high number of bridge-strengthening projects across regional Victoria in the past year to support farmers and freight operators. The alliance's chair, Ballarat mayor Tracey Hargreaves, said a different funding model was needed. Cr Hargreaves said councils were being asked to do more with less all the time.

Regional Victorian councils are facing growing financial pressure and struggling to maintain their existing deteriorating road and bridge networks. Pyrenees Shire mayor Damian Ferrari estimated it would cost his council $4 million to restore the Avoca-Bealiba bridge to a full-load capacity. He said there were multiple bridges across his shire's road network with load limits. For Mr Howell, every load limit on a bridge is a loss in productivity, but he said councils were doing their best with what little they had.

The Avoca-Bealiba Road bridge has been in place since 1942. The bridge's 80-year lifespan has seen an increase in heavy vehicle traffic. The 45-tonne load limit imposed by the council has severely impacted the livelihoods of many regional Victorian farmers and truck drivers. Every extra kilometer travelled reduces their productivity and increases costs.

The alliance's chair, Ballarat mayor Tracey Hargreaves, said a different funding model was needed. Cr Hargreaves said councils were being asked to do more with less all the time. But costs keep rising and funding has not been keeping pace. Local governments are responsible for a large amount of infrastructure, but they rely on a really limited ratepayer base. Every kilometre counts, especially during a time when fuel costs are sky-high.

The Victorian government said it had delivered a high number of bridge-strengthening projects across regional Victoria in the past year to support farmers and freight operators. However, the number of bridge repair targets has been slashed from 22 to seven this financial year. The bridge issue is expected to worsen, with the Victorian government cutting regional bridge repair targets to seven in the 2026-2027 financial year.

In a bid to address the concerns of regional Victorian councils, the Greater Alliance of Ballarat Councils is calling on the Victorian government to reinstate a long-term country roads and bridges program for regional Victoria. The alliance said councils are being asked to do more with less all the time. However, costs keep rising and funding has not been keeping pace.

The alliance's chair, Ballarat mayor Tracey Hargreaves, said the government's new funding model needed to be revised. Cr Hargreaves said councils were being pushed to their limits. The $4 million needed to restore the Avoca-Bealiba bridge to its original capacity represents a significant burden on the council's already strained finances.

The Victorian government has committed $1.5 billion to a regional infrastructure program. However, the funding model needs to be revised to ensure that regional councils receive the necessary support. The alliance's chair, Ballarat mayor Tracey Hargreaves, said the new funding model needed to consider the specific needs of regional councils.

In an interview, Ms Bartlett said: 'For us, it's a financial cost, because our trucks have to travel an extra 30 or 40km to get here and also that distance back.' She said the added cost of travelling an extra 30 to 40km each way was huge for her business.

Mr Howell said that during a time when fuel costs are sky-high, every kilometre counts. He said the added cost of fuel was a significant burden on his business. The whole road network is going backwards and has been for the last few years, especially now as the trucks are getting bigger.

Pyrenees Shire mayor Damian Ferrari estimated it would cost his council $4 million to restore the Avoca-Bealiba bridge to a full-load capacity.

The road network's plight in regional Victoria has been ongoing, with some councils being forced to lower bridge load limits and speed limits due to lack of state funding.