Twelve intersections have been targeted in the joint Corangamite Shire-VicRoads project aimed at reminding international drivers to stay on the left.

The Great Ocean Road and surrounding tourist routes have been under pressure across the weekend with Chinese New Year and the Australia Day holiday falling close together.

Councillor Simon Illingworth said many locals were driving in fear.

“In the last two or so weeks we’ve had major collisions involving tourists coming in and out of car parks along the Great Ocean Road,” he said. 

“Everyone who is local down in that area is driving in a state of nervousness, they turn the corner… and they are wondering whether or not they will have tourists on the wrong side of the road.

“Thankfully, we’re rolling out some arrows on the road, so things are starting to happen… but there is a massive hole in the roads funding.”

Cr Illingworth described a $50-million state government road widening pledge, which includes $5 million for two sections of the Foxhow Road, as a “drop in the ocean”.

However, Cr Ruth Gstrein, who has long campaigned for improvements to Foxhow Road, said it was pleasing to finally see the road, a popular link between Camperdown and the Hamilton Highway, would be upgraded.

“It’s taken a long time, but at least it’s happened at last,” she said.

“There is plenty more roads that need work, particularly in the southern part of our shire – our major tourist routes are in desperate need of work – as is the Cobden-Port Campbell Road slip.”

Cr Bev McArthur described the $5 million in funding as “paltry”. “I think that, yes, we have to be grateful, but we actually have to say ‘this is not good enough’, it’s been… a very long time coming and it’s a paltry amount,” she said.

Mayor Jo Beard said the funding was a sign the state government was “starting to listen”, but pledged to continue the fight for more.

“We do have to continue to advocate and push hard, harder than we ever have… to continue that fight to get the well-deserved funding that is due here in the south-west,” she said.

Corangamite Shire works and services director Brooke Love said signage would soon be erected to complement the directional arrows. 

“We are seeing a lot more traffic on our local roads, particularly around Port Campbell, Timboon and Simpson with the Twelve Apostles Gourmet Trail,” she said.

“The arrows are strategically placed on the road as a reminder and to help reduce the risk of head-on collisions.”

VicRoads regional director Mark Koliba welcomed the initiative, saying that the new arrows would complement VicRoads’ overarching strategy to install directional arrows across the region.

“We’ve had a fantastic response from drivers and the community about the existing arrows, and are very pleased that the Corangamite Shire has worked with us to extend this important safety initiative,” he said.

Twelve intersections have been targeted in the southern part of the shire: