The RACV has released results of its My Country Road survey with more than 7000 Victorians providing valuable input shining a light on the condition of regional roads state-wide.

The most dangerous intersection in regional Victoria was identified as the junction of the Midland Highway and Howard Street in Epsom, north of Bendigo.

And the Tylden-Woodend Road from Woodend to Tylden, used by many locals travelling to Melbourne, received the second highest number of complaints across the state.

Poor road conditions and pot holes rated among the top issues of concern with 64 per cent of participants identifying them as the primary safety issue, up from 46 per cent in 2021.

Potholes are a major safety risk for drivers as they try and avoid damaging their vehicles. Swerving to avoid a pothole at the last moment is dangerous as drivers may lose control of their vehicles or swerve into oncoming traffic.

Other roads that generated substantial concern were Kilmore Road from Monegeetta to Gisborne, and the Goulburn Valley Highway from Nagambie to Shepparton.

Overall, 14 per cent of participants supported ‘a lower or more appropriate speed limit’ as a measure to improve road safety.

That response rose to 56 per cent on the top 12 worst roads, highlighting that many Victorians believe reducing the speed on highly dangerous roads is an appropriate approach.

The RACV will use the data from the survey to encourage the state government and local councils to make commitments that deliver safer regional roads.

RACV Head of Policy James Williams said the data from the survey indicated that the condition of regional roads has become a major safety concern for Victorians.

“Over 7,000 Victorians have provided us with data about safety on our regional roads, with potholes or poor road condition being the number one safety issue,” Mr Williams said.

“As a safety advocate, it’s important that RACV closely examines what Victorians think are the factors contributing to unsafe road conditions, so we can provide that information to all levels of government and encourage action.”

THE experience of losing her mother to a form of dementia inspired
Tylden creative Dawn Bamford to pen a play highlighting some pressing issues.

Next month that play The Vessel will be staged at The Social Foundry in Kyneton
featuring a cast and crew of impressive local talent while spotlighting some of the big
challenges around ageing and care-giving.
The 40-minute piece will be staged Saturday March 4, 8pm and Sunday March
5 at 2pm and at 5pm, and will be complemented by a 10-minute play Until Then by
Paul Canlan.
Like The Vessel, the shorter play similarly deals with intense familial relationships –
in this case a father-son relationship – that can arise amid significant health challenges.
“The cast and crew of The Vessel and Until Then are a very talented bunch of local
and regional performers and it’s a pleasure to work alongside them as part of the
creative process, which started some four months ago as a reading around a table, over
a glass of wine at Chaplin’s in Trentham,” Dawn (pictured above) said.
Besides her creative activity, Dawn works in social support with Sunbury-Cobaw
Community Health and hopes the new stage production will go on to tour and
prompt useful conversation and policy changes.
She says she wrote The Vessel last year after she was initially prompted to write a
poem as a personal reflective response to the experience of losing her mother in 2017.
The poem has been worked into the stage play, marking its beginning and end.
“In early 2018, I wrote a poem, around six months after the death of my mother
in aged care,” she said.
“Mum was about four years into her initial early-onset dementia diagnosis with
Lewy bodies when she was admitted into care.
“Over a very long time she lost most of her physical and mental capacity and was
both non-verbal and non-ambulant at the time of her death. Between 2007 and 2017
I was a constant visitor, volunteer and eventually, part-time lifestyle worker there.
“I had a first-hand view of the operational and logistical complexity of care in this
setting and the limitations of this large-scale business model in the industry sector.”
Dawn said many of the problems of institutionalised care had been highlighted
in the Royal Commission recently, as a result of the rise of Covid in the sector, but it
had always been an industry in crisis.

“The private business model is really an imperfect solution to what is really a
social and community health concern, as much as it is a housing resolution for an
older population with high care needs.
“It survives because of the rampant ageism and neglect that we all contribute
to as a society. I do not wish to demonise any individual, service, group of workers,
families or healthcare agencies through my play.
“The aim is to humanise the condition that is dementia and remind us all of
the fact that it is a human condition and that sufferers have not had their minds
and memories erased, rather redistributed and rearranged, and that their emotional
intelligence and hearing are as sharp as ever.
“There’s an element very much of social justice and after the three shows in
Kyneton we’d like to see if there are touring possibilities. I’d love to see it prompt
more conversations and maybe some action and policy changes in the aged care
sector.”
Dawn has a well established background in theatre, TV and screen including
acting and singing, but bringing The Vessel to the stage marks her debut foray into
playwriting and production.
“It is quite confronting but there are delightful moments as well,” she said.
“There are some moments of hilarity. Behind every single human being,
irrespective of age, there is a story that nobody knows.”
The Vessel features many local names including Suzanne Sandow (Mary), Kate
Moonie (daughter), Mel Thomas (PCA), Ian Rooney (nurse) and Rexine Perry
(clown), Paul Canlan (director) Tim Jones (poster and set design and construction),
Caroline Sarah (costumes) and Toby Dutton (graphic design and set construction).
Until Then features Paul Canlan (Rhys/son), Ian Rooney (Tony/dad).
Bookings through TryBooking online.
Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Contributed