Regional drivers report heavy costs as road claims rarely succeed
Only 1.3% of pothole damage claims lodged with Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning led to a settlement offer in 2023-24.
The Age reported on 9 July 2026 that a “Pothole Rebellion” was building across regional Victoria.
That report described drivers paying thousands of dollars for tyre and rim damage after rain on roads including the Hume and Goulburn Valley highways.
Tow truck operators were also stretched after those rain events, according to The Age feature.
Drivers who seek pothole compensation must show the authority knew about the hazard and did not fix it in time.
A damage threshold of about $1,681 applies before any payment can begin.
Jane and Shane Foreman
Jane Foreman and her husband Shane hit a pothole while driving to the Gold Coast in July 2026.
“My husband and I were driving up for a trip to the Gold Coast recently when we hit a pothole and did serious damage to our car. It had to be towed to Wangaratta, but the repair wait there was eight weeks, so it was transferred all the way to Melbourne, and we ended up booking flights instead.”
The couple’s car was first towed to Wangaratta, then moved to Melbourne because the local repair backlog was eight weeks.
As a result, Jane and Shane Foreman booked flights to the Gold Coast instead of finishing the trip by car.
The vehicle is still being repaired, and their insurer is covering the cost.
Because the insurer is paying, Jane Foreman cannot pursue a standard compensation claim herself, and she still faces an insurance excess.
Victoria has budgeted about $1.04 billion for road maintenance and repairs in the 2026-27 financial year.
However, regional Victorians told The Age that the spending was not producing lasting repairs on the ground.
Critics have also attacked Victoria’s registration rebate for road damage as too small to cover towing, repairs, hire cars and missed travel.
Meanwhile, National Party leader Danny O’Brien and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson have both raised regional road conditions during visits to northern Victoria and Gippsland.
