The central ward candidate said roads maintenance should come ahead of “multi-million dollar streetscapes, $30,000 art ‘installations’ sourced from interstate artists, foreign sister city adventures and other interesting but non-essential ratepayer spends”.

Mrs McArthur visited Bookaar’s Hinkleys Road on Wednesday, meeting with local residents about the condition of the road.

“Locals are just waiting for a disaster to occur because this road, and many like it, is of a totally unacceptable standard,” she said.

“We just cannot have a situation where lives are put at risk because of poor road maintenance. “Our local roads transport our children in school buses, move milk and grain in huge B Double vehicles and they have to be safe.”

Mrs McArthur said poor roads were adding to business costs. “Councils need to ensure that their responsibilities are not creating further unnecessary burdens for the hard working farmers and businesses paying excessive rates and trying to keep the economy moving,” she said.

“If elected, I won’t be leaving the issues that affect ratepayers and Corangamite citizens just to council staff; I will check out for myself what’s happening on the ground with the people that matter.

“And I won’t wait for the complaints to come in; I will pro-actively assess what is happening in the central ward and the wider municipality.”

Corangamite Shire’s 2016-17 budget committed more than $10 million to roads and associated infrastructure such as bridges and drainage works.