A new initiative in Victoria aims to tackle the state’s widespread pothole problem by deploying prisoners for basic road maintenance tasks, freeing up skilled crews to concentrate on repairs. Under the proposed plan, inmates would handle routine upkeep, while a significant budget boost—including an additional $352 million—would fund efforts to fix 500,000 potholes by early next year. The government’s strategy combines workforce expansion with targeted funding to accelerate infrastructure improvements. Critics and supporters alike will be watching how this approach balances efficiency with public safety concerns.
Inmates would take over ‘basic’ road maintenance duties, allowing skilled crews to focus on fixing 500,000 potholesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian prisoners will be put to work on road maintenance as part of Labor’s plan to fix the state’s potholes if re-elected.The state’s premier, Ben Carroll, outlined the plan on Monday off the back of an announcement on Sunday that the government would be increasing the road maintenance budget by $352m to fix 500,000 potholes by the end of January. Continue reading...
