August 16th, 2021Pothole causing costly chaos but no compo

A MAJOR pothole on the Ballan-Daylesford Road near Victoria Park in Daylesford has caused thousands of dollars in damage to residents’ and visitors’ vehicles.
The pothole opened up with heavy rains around August 4 and despite the pothole being repaired, recent rain has already compromised that work.
According to the Department of Transport’s acting regional director (Grampians), Angela Daraxoglou, long term repairs will take place.
“We are aware of the issue on the Daylesford-Ballan Road, and our maintenance team has been carrying out additional inspections at the site and conducting repairs as needed,” she said.
“Once warmer weather produces conditions more suitable for roadbuilding, our crews will return to carry out long-term repairs.”
Despite the current lockdown, Daylesford Tyre and Windscreen Service has remained open as an essential service and was inundated with customers needing tyre repairs. Owner Jamie Adams, pictured, said it was lucky no-one was seriously injured.

“It was lucky it was in a 60km zone as I can’t imagine if it was in a 100km zone. I had 11 tyres come in on a single day and the repairs ranged from $100-$400,” he said.
“I’m just glad no-one was seriously injured which is surprising given the damage to some of the tyres and even wheel rims.”
While some residents say they will attempt to seek compensation, the process can be quite lengthy. Regional Roads Victoria states:
“Regional Roads Victoria is not liable for damage caused on the road, whether from hazardous objects or otherwise if it has fulfilled and complied with its obligations under the Road Management Plan.”
It’s all in the name
A quick Google internet search of the history of the pothole reveals that according to folklore dating back 3,000 years, the famous road builders of the Roman Empire were hampered by potters who dug up chunks of clay from the smooth highways of that time. The clay became pots, and hence the name. Three thousand years on and we are still being hampered by the pothole.
A deeper search tells of a Manchester graffiti artist so infuriated with local potholes he spray painted images of penises around potholes, which resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.

Words & image: Narelle Groenhout