Ms Neelson said while none of the potholes were especially large, their sheer number made the stretch of road rough and uncomfortable to navigate, raising real concerns among local residents.
“There’s no big ones but there are several small ones, which make it very rough going under the bridge,” she said.
Ms Neelson said her concern was heightened by the number of older residents in the area who regularly used the road, along with the risk of vehicle damage caused by the deteriorating surface.
The issue has also brought back memories of a larger pothole that formed in the area following the floods.
Ms Neelson said she had reported the previous pothole to the council several times, but felt her concerns had not been acted on.
She said the road was only repaired after further complaints were lodged — and after a local resident suffered a serious fall on the damaged surface and required hospitalisation.
The section between Black Culvert Rd and Settlement Rd was subsequently resealed.
Ms Neelson said she had not bothered reporting the latest potholes to the council, having lost confidence in the process after her previous concerns were repeatedly ignored.
She said the message from residents was straightforward — get the potholes beneath the bridge fixed now, before the situation deteriorated into something far more serious.
Campaspe Shire Council director infrastructure and environment Kate Lemon said council was not aware of the current potholes.
“During the last proactive inspection of this location, completed in April 2026, no potholes at intervention level were found,” she said.
Ms Lemon said council had received no reports or complaints about the section of Black Culvert Rd following grading works completed in September 2024.
She said Black Culvert Rd was classified as a ‘Rural Access Road’ and was inspected proactively twice a year, with the next inspection scheduled for October.
“However, defects may occur between these inspections, which can be reported by residents,” she said.
Ms Lemon said reported defects were referred to relevant teams for inspection, with action taken on defects that met intervention levels under council’s Road Management Plan.
Council said it had also not received any incident report or notification of serious injury relating to the section of Black Culvert Rd.
Residents can report road issues through Campaspe Shire Council’s website, by calling 1300 666 535, emailing shire@campaspe.vic.gov.au or visiting a customer service centre.
Council said residents would receive a reference number, allowing them to follow up on their report.
