Drivers on a battered Ballan road say they are sick of having to dodge potholes, culverts and feral animals - and say the surface was in better condition 20 years ago than it is today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
According to a budget submission to Moorabool Council the narrow road is the main arterial for almost 100 new homes in the north-west corner of the booming town.
With large blocks on one side of the road and densely packed-in residential houses on the other, it is still a narrow strip of mosaicked bitumen with open drains and concrete culverts instead of suburban kerb-and-channel.
Hogan Road homeowner John Kowarsky said the corner of Densley Street was especially dangerous.
"That T-intersection has very little vision if you are coming around the corner from Densley Road," he said.
"With the traffic we have, we need a wider road with some sort of island in the middle to make the traffic stop.
"It's dangerous."
He said past petitions had resulted in a serious of 'chevron' black-and-yellow signs, warning drivers of the bend in the road.
Mr Kowarsky said he had been told council staff were investigating issues with the Hogan Road - and had recently put down markers nearby, but he was keen to see action.
"The roads has culverts and (dirt) drains. On the corner here they are very shallow - and everytime it rains heavily, it flows over the road itself.
"My neighbour's garage gets flooded as a result.
"The whole thing needs to be redesigned."
People in Hogan Road have also placed signs on their properties, begging drivers to slow down.
Other residents described near-misses, damage to vehicles and cars getting stuck in agricultural ditches to avoid other vehicles on the narrow strip of bitumen.
The road was named after Ned Hogan - a Labor Premier who famously formed a coalition government with the Country (now National ) Party during a rocky period of Victoria's political history.
The Ballan farmer was a local MP whose term spanned World War 1, the Depression and part of World War 2.
According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, he was often at odds with the industrial arm of the party and was expelled from Labor in 1932, leading to a long and bitter legal feud which took a toll on his health.
After becoming an independent in 1935 he later joined the Country Party.
On leaving politics he wrote booklets warning about Communism in Australia in the 1950s.
Hogan married Molly Conroy in St Brigids Catholic Church, Ballan - and his family refused the offer of a State Funeral in 1964. He is buried in Cheltenham Cemetery.
The run-down road is one of the few known memorials to his 30-years of parliamentary service.
The state of Hogan Road was raised at a Moorabool Council budget meeting earlier this month when a resident singled it out for a major upgrade.
Melissa Gardner was also concerned about the state of nearby Spencer Road and Simpson Street, which have also come under pressure from rapid growth close to the Western Freeway.
But locals may have to wait for a solution.
"Following a petition submitted to Council requesting road upgrades along both Hogan Road and Densley Street, a preliminary design has been completed which incorporates road widening and drainage upgrades," a response from Council officers said.
"Although construction is not included in the draft 2022/23 budget, the project has been referred to the Long Term Capital Improvement Program for future funding consideration, along with other priority projects around the Shire."
IN THE NEWS
The same document said Moorabool managed a large network of more than 1450km of local roads, which would cost $383 million to replace, at today's prices.
"In addition, it is anticipated that the development of a road and path improvement program for Ballan will be considered as part of the preparation of a Ballan Transport Strategy during 2022/23," officers said.
"Acknowledging the varying layouts of roads within the Ballan township, the plan would consider items such as seal width, parking, kerb-and-channel, pedestrian connections etc."
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.