OPINION
MY father, Peter, used to work for the Country Roads Board. He tells a story of when he was in the boardroom once in the late 1960’s when a call was patched through to the chairman of the organisation.
On the other end of the phone was Alan Hunt, the Member for Mornington at the time. The opposition had found a good candidate and he was wondering if CRB could announce some new projects around Mornington to bolster his chances or re-election.
My father recounts that a furious chairman told Hunt, in no uncertain terms, that it was beneath the dignity of his organisation to stoop to political stunts.
Fast forward to the current day, and things could not be more different.
The various government departments are mouthpieces of the government of the day, with any issues dismissed for political expediency.
On two occasions recently I have contacted the media advisors of the Department of Transport and Planning.
The first time I emailed to ask, as had been rumoured, if the department was investigating then Nepean by-election candidate Anthony Marsh for illegal roadworks.
The reply was “We’re rebuilding, repairing and resurfacing hundreds of kilometres of Victorian roads thanks to our $976 million road maintenance blitz – the largest single-year investment in road maintenance in the state’s history.”
Asked again if they were undertaking an investigation, they told me they had nothing further to add.
Phoning them regarding the Mornington Nepean Hwy lane closure, the media contact for the advisor listened before saying “We probably won’t comment”.
The News was supplied an email regarding the Nepean Hwy gridlock sent by a frustrated Padua parent last week.
The reply from VicRoads stated, in part: “We appreciate you raising your concerns, and we acknowledge the frustration that motorists are experiencing along Nepean Highway and within the broader peninsula area.”
The reply then suggested the motorist use Moorooduc Hwy instead, (despite it also being gridlocked during peak times).
The email then finished with: “Thanks again for getting in touch. We hope our response has addressed your enquiry, and we appreciate the opportunity to consider your feedback”.
“Please do not reply to this email, replies to this email are routed to an unmonitored mailbox.”
This is not good enough. There is no actual listening, and nothing done. And everyday people have to suffer the consequences.
First published in the Mornington News – 12 May 2026
