General News
1 October, 2025
Road in state of “rack and ruin”
AN IMPASSIONED Port Campbell resident is urging Corangamite Shire Council to fix the local road he has to travel every day.
Caleb McKenzie said he believes there has been some misunderstanding over who is responsible for the maintenance of Yaruck Road, which he thinks has resulted in its deterioration.
“Almost twenty-one years ago, the limestone pit behind our property was started up,” he said.
“Peter McKinnon, thanks to the gas plant, had the road done up.
“Then $45,000 later they had it all done up around here, done the road up, drained it, and it was good.
“Now, the shire reckons it’s a 4D road and the McKinnons have to maintain it, but I’ve said to them, the McKinnons have done their maintenance, you fellas have gotten it to rack and ruin.
“It’s nothing to do with Peter McKinnon.”
Mr McKenzie said he has been in contact with the shire but fears nothing further is going to be done, leaving the road in a state of disrepair.
“The shire have graded it once for the year, they did send a grader down to smooth it down a little bit,” he said.
“There used to be a bit of a mound so when you were on your tractor there you’d hit your head bouncing off your seat when going over it.
“I’ve talked to Lyall Bond from the council and he said they’ve put in for funding, but they’re not doing any more to it this year.
“So we’ve got to put up with a road like this.”
Mr McKenzie is not the only person who lives on Yaruck Road – with multiple other properties relying on the road to travel, Mr McKenzie said it was in dire need of maintenance.
“There’s five or six other people who live down here – we’ve got to get down to our farm and it’s the only way out to the dairy farm,” he said.
“All we’re asking for is to fix the road up and get some gravel and stop whinging it’s Peter McKinnons job – it’s nothing to do with him, the shire have let it get to rack and ruin because they haven’t done their maintenance on it.
“All we’re asking for is some money to be spent on it to get it from a 4D road to a 4C and drain the water off the road, put the drains in it like McKinnon’s so that the water can run.
“It’s dangerous and it’s slippery too.
“We’ve just paid our rates too – we pay them straight away and this is what we have to put up with.”
In response to questions from Western District Newspapers, acting director works and services John Kelly from Corangamite Shire Council said works would soon be completed.
“Routine maintenance works are scheduled for Yaruck Road in the coming weeks, subject to suitable weather conditions,” he said.
Read More: Port Campbell