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11 AUGUST, 2026
Pothole pain Kyneton Tyrepower manager Dean O’Connell with a customer’s tyre rim that was cracked travelling from Trentham after hitting a pothole. (Damjan Janevski) 569434_01
By Georgia Tacey Drivers across the Macedon Ranges are paying the price for the state of the roads, according to a Kyneton tyre dealer. Kyneton Tyrepower manager Dean O’Connell said at least four to five people each week come into the shop with damaged or blown tyres, with Kyneton and Trentham residents the hardest hit. “Potholes are the biggest danger on the road at the moment,” Mr O’Connell said. “A lot of wheels are being damaged, a lot of tyres are being damaged also.” Mr O’Connell said on average, it is costing customers $1200-$1500 to replace each damaged tyre. “We’re here to keep people safe, to make sure their tyres are safe on the roads,” he said. “At the moment, I’m getting too many coming through with damaged tyres, sidewalls, cracked rims, damage where
the tyres are bubbled out on the sidewall … which is not safe.” Kyneton, Trentham, Tylden and Malmsbury were some of the danger areas reported to Mr O’Connell by customers, and he said one customer from Trentham came to him with a cracked and damaged rim after hitting a pothole. “The potholes aren’t just little, they’re quite big potholes. Even your SUV vehicles are copping the potholes and damaging wheels,” he said. Mr O’Connell also called out the state of the Calder Freeway, which he said was “littered“ with potholes. The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) began emergency patching works on multiple sections of the Calder Freeway on 27 July between Woodend and Elphinstone, which Mr O’Connell said was already too late. “It’s way too late … this has been going on for months,” he said.
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“It’s been left too long, like they do a quick patch up, but next downfall we have, the holes are back again. They need to do it and seal it properly.” Mr O’Connell said safety was his biggest concern. “Our cars have got to be safe,” he said. “How about we make the roads safe as well?” His warning comes as Northern Victoria MP Wendy Lovell called on the roads and road safety minister to urgently fi x the potholes on Kyneton-Trentham Road. Residents also reported the condition of the state-managed road to the Liberal candidate for Macedon Kate Kendall. Ms Kendall, who is also a Macedon Ranges councillor, said a resident she spoke to her had hit a pothole when driving between Tylden and Trentham on Kyneton-Trentham Road, which exploded the car tyre and damaged the driver’s side front wheel.
Ms Kendall said the resident, while waiting for the tyre to be replaced, saw a second motorist was also having a tyre replaced due to damage from the same pothole. “One of the big issues affecting residents of the Macedon electorate is the dangerous condition of state arterial roads in the area,” she said. “Blowing out a tyre can put motorists hundreds of dollars out of pocket during a cost-of-living crisis.” DTP confi rmed it has patched more than 50 potholes on Kyneton-Trentham Road in July, with works on the Calder Freeway also beginning in late July. The spokesperson also said after extended periods of rainfall, DTP’s focus is on making sure the area is safe and that any damage is repaired as soon as possible. Damaged roads can be reported by calling 13 11 70.
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