State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, has again called on the Labor Government to urgently act on concerning road conditions on the Paynesville Road near Bairnsdale, one of many in the area needing urgent attention.

Paynesville Road is a critical route for residents and tourists accessing the Gippsland Lakes. Its surface has deteriorated so badly that the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) has been forced to slow traffic with warning signs. Locals have dubbed it the “Paynesville rollercoaster”.

Mr Bull has been raising concerns with the Minister since 2023, after the road surface began to visibly deform. While the issue was initially blamed on high rainfall that year, the undulations have since worsened, with cracking now evident in multiple sections of the bitumen.

“This is not just a rough patch of road, it’s a clear sign something more serious,” Mr Bull said.

The Minister conceded a geotechnical investigation into the subsurface was completed in 2024, yet no remediation works have begun since.

“An investigation without action is pointless. The department has the data, the Minister has had the time, and road users are still left driving on a signposted hazard,” Mr Bull said.

Mr Bull said the situation reflected a broader failure by the Labor Government.

“Labor can’t manage money and they can’t manage regional roads. If they could, we wouldn’t be slowing traffic on a major regional road because it’s buckling underneath us,” he said.

Noting past comments by Labor’s Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward that concerns about Gippsland’s roads were an “imagined fantasy,” Mr Bull invited both her and the Roads Minister to take a ride on the Paynesville rollercoaster and then tell locals there’s nothing wrong with our roads.”

Mr Bull is demanding immediate answers, transparency on the investigation findings, and a clear timeline for permanent repairs to make the road safe.

Monday, 2 February 2026