State of neglect: 153 trees growing in middle of Princes Highway

Victoria’s road maintenance failure has led to trees growing in the middle of the Princes Hwy and destroying safety barriers.

Gippsland East MP Tim Bull with one of the 153 trees that have grown up through the middle of safety barriers on the Princes Hwy.

Hundreds of trees are twisting their way through wire-rope safety barriers and popping up through cracks in the middle of the Princes Highway, putting motorists’ lives at risk.

Locals have counted counted 153 trees growing along the middle of the highway, between Sale and Bairnsdale - with one even found growing in front of a bullnose crash barrier.

This tree is growing in front of a bullnose crash barrier in the centre of the Princes Hwy.

One of 153 trees growing in the centre of the Princes Hwy, between Bairnsdale and Sale

Further west, South Gippsland MP and Opposition roads spokesman Danny O’Brien said he was appalled at the failure of VicRoads to clear young trees, up to 2m high, that had grown through wire-rope safety barriers along the edge of the highway at Flynn.

“It’s like nature reclaiming our roads, due to the maintenance failure of the government,” Mr O’Brien said

Trees up to 2m high growing through and almost hiding the wire-rope safety barrier on the Princes Hwy.

A recent National Transport Research Organisation survey of 8400km of state roads found 91 per cent were in poor or very poor condition, compared to just 30 per cent in 2022.

Ross Ingram part-owns truck business Bonaccord from Lindenow, near Bairnsdale, and says the poor condition of roads is driving up costs to keep his fleet going.

“We have noticed a vast increase in the number of shackle pins and bushes we are replacing on the left-hand side of our trucks,” he said.

“In years gone, in the life of a truck, you wouldn’t have done a shackle pin or bush.

“It was a very rare occurrence.

“But nearly every one of our trucks before they’ve done 700,000km, which is really nothing for a truck, we are replacing shackle pins and bushes.

“VicRoads’ way of fixing this is reducing the speed limit, but if they keep doing that, it is going to take a truck longer to get anywhere and will run drivers out of hours.

“All these things come into play.”

Mr Ingram’s 50 interstate trucks regularly use the Princes, Monaro and Hume highways and believes “NSW roads are generally better”.

“They (governments) are spending all the money in the city and nothing in the country,” he said.

“We’re all part of this country, but there is certainly no shortage of money being spent on roads in Canberra.

“Generally the roads are better in NSW, but the Princes Highway in NSW is a goat track too.”

Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull quizzed Roads Minister Melissa Horne on why trees had not been cleared from the highway, given the damage to the road surface and risk to motorists, with canopies swaying into oncoming traffic, scratching vehicles and distracting drivers.

Ms Horne said she and her Department of Transport and Planning bureaucrats “acknowledges the presence of saplings between the barriers”.

“(But) addressing this issue is a more intricate process than it may initially appear. Working in the middle of a highway exposes crews to significant safety risks,” she said.

“It requires specific traffic control measures, careful planning, and co-ordination to minimise disruptions to traffic while ensuring the safety of road workers and the traveling public.”

Ultimately Ms Horne said the DTP would develop “a plan to address this issue throughout Gippsland, and expects this program to be finalised and completed by mid-2024”.

Mr Bull said he found the response completely ridiculous.

“The minister is using this as an excuse that road workers will have to work on the road, and they need to develop a plan for this – is she serious?” he said.

“Road workers work on the road every day and put the right safety measures in place. A couple I know and have showed this to, simply laughed.

“The issue for the minister is that when they have a crew on the road, the barriers have created such a narrow carriageway, they will not have enough room for traffic to get around the stationary work vehicle, so they may have to divert traffic.

“Regional Roads Victoria has admitted to me that this stretch of road does not meet the department’s current safety standards, which were adopted shortly after this stretch was completed. The fact it does not meet their own guidelines indicates it needs a broader fix,” Mr Bull said.

It's not just trees, but grass that is also growing through cracks and spreading out onto the Princes Hwy.

Ms Horne said the DTP advised her that the Princes Highway, from Stratford to Orbost was inspected weekly, and from Orbost to the New South Wales border fortnightly.

Mr Bull said: “I’ve never seen so many cans of spray paint used to mark faults in the road, but there has to be follow up work”.

Urgent road issues that pose immediate safety risks can be reported by calling the dedicated hotlines at 13 11 70 (VicRoads) or 133 778 (RRV).

The Weekly Times is keen to see any images of trees and other vegetation that pose a risk to motorists, which can be emailed to [e-mail]