The council moved on Tuesday night to write to the state Minister for Roads and Roads Safety, the Minister for Tourism and Major Events and the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment calling on them to provide urgent funding.

The council says $16 million is required for the Timboon-Colac Road, $10 million for the Cobden Port Campbell Road and $11 million for the Princetown Road and the roads were part of the visitor journey for a high proportion of the 2.6 million people who come to the Twelve Apostles.

Councillor Simon Illingworth said the millions of tourists driving on the roads were driving among locals, tractors and farm machinery. “We are putting to our politicians with this document the route that they must fix,” he said. “We’re not asking anymore we’re telling. This is what you must do. Because it is not good enough for us to actually feel some sense of responsibility for our locals and our international tourists. It’s not good enough anymore that we would actually shoulder any of the blame.

“The people in the coastal shire, in towns like Simpson and Port Campbell… are sick to death of near misses, they’re sick to death of hearing the police, ambulance and helicopters buzzing over our heads and we all know what they’re going to – they’re going to a road accident.”

The council report noted VicRoads data which showed there had been more than 60 vehicle crashes involving over 180 people over the past six years on the Great Ocean Road and hinterland roads forming the touring route. It showed more than 21 per cent of the Cobden Port Campbell Road, Princetown Road and Timboon-Colac Road pavement surface was in a distressed state.

“Tourist driver behaviour is a particular concern, with many international drivers not remembering to drive on the left hand side of the road when driving along the Great Ocean Road and other main roads,” the report noted.

Councillor Bev McArthur said the roads needed to be fixed to enhance the visitor experience and also to make sure they’re safe for people that live and work in the area. Mayor Jo Beard said the longer the investment was ignored the greater the need became.