Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (19:00): (1609) I have a matter for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. The action I seek is for the minister to ensure works are undertaken as a matter of priority to improve line markings on the Whittlesea-Kinglake Road, right across the Kinglake Ranges, before winter sets in. The line markings now are almost invisible. The cat’s eyes in many places are worn out or damaged, further reducing visibility and safety. Luminescent markings have faded and lost any effectiveness. The Kinglake Ranges is known for its unique weather. Heavy fog is a feature, so safe roads are paramount during the day and at night. These much-needed improvements are simple and should be a no-brainer. Many raise the condition of this road with me. Potholes are a constant and now equally the line markings are dangerous.

A long-time emergency services volunteer who travels this road frequently contacted me recently about her concern. She knows this road, drives it regularly and understands the risks and hazards, and her message is stark. With fog now rolling into Kinglake, she says that the current state of line markings is a recipe for disaster. Driving the Whittlesea–Kinglake Road in heavy fog at 7:30 am two weeks ago, she described needing intense concentration simply to keep her car on the road. The lines, she says, are almost invisible, and she says it is the worst that she has encountered. This is not an abstract concern; this is someone responding to emergencies, often at night, in poor conditions, on a narrow, winding and somewhat unforgiving road. In those conditions line markings are not cosmetic, they are critical. When visibility drops, they are often the only guide a driver has.

The government has trialled new technologies on a number of segments of this road, including enhanced and luminescent markings. In the end, that trial, like the visibility on this stretch, simply faded away. But what matters to drivers on the ground is simple: can they see the road? Right now they cannot and the community knows it. The consistent message is that this road needs more than patchwork fixes and routine maintenance. It needs clear, visible, well-maintained line markings that perform in real conditions at night, in fog and on a road where mistakes are unforgiving. Cat’s eyes are crucial for delineating lanes at night and in poor weather, and their deterioration can cause significant visibility issues for motorists. Missing or damaged road studs can make it difficult to see the road ahead in low light or wet weather. Before winter sets in and fog becomes a daily hazard, the minister must act, because when a frontline volunteer is telling you the road is unsafe, you do not want to wait for a report; you fix it. The question is simple: will the government act now or wait until somebody is seriously injured or worse before it does?