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AlpineObserverWednesdayOctober12025

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THE ALPINE

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BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, October 1, 2025

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JOIN US AT THE STATION THIS SUNDAY Porepunkah CFA members (from left) Lawrence Wong, Sarah Clapperton, Renee Lee, Ed Rozitis, Captain Mick Dalbosco, Colleen Ellis and Kiah Ross with ‘future captain’ Tucker, are inviting the community to tour their upgraded station this Sunday and get ready for the fire season.

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2am this Sunday, October 5 when clocks are put forward one hour.

PHOTO: Phoebe Morgan STORY PAGE 7

Police chief’s manhunt vow Page 2

‘Death trap’: Road safety ratings re-inforce fears MP calls for action as key roads in Alpine Shire fail to exceed 2.5 out of 5 Stars The release of a new road safety rating system has confirmed what many locals in the Alpine Shire may have already feared. The Victorian government has released the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) road safety star ratings, which provide an evidence-based assessment on the health of the state’s road network. AusRAP is a globally recognised risk-rating system designed by the Internation-

The entire Great Alpine Road received a below twostar rating, with the road at jzeuschner@ nemedia.com.au its least safe from Bright to Bairnsdale. In the 76.4km stretch of al Road Assessment Program the road from Wangaratta to (iRAP) and its ratings show Bright, the road was rated at where the risk of fatal or 2.4 stars, which carries approxserious injury is greatest imately 101.1 million vehicle across the road network, with five being the safest and kilometres of travel per year. Other roads like Happy zero the riskiest. Valley Road (1.6 Stars), Alarmingly, key roads in Kiewa Valley Highway (2.5 the Alpine Shire never exStars), Myrtleford-Yackanceeded 2.5 stars, with some dandah Road (1.7 Stars), Bufas low as one star. BY JEFF ZEUSCHNER

falo River Road (1.6 Stars), Mount Buffalo Road (1 Star) and Bogong High Plains Road (1.2 Stars) received ratings in red. Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy said the ratings confirmed what the community had been saying for years. “With the Great Alpine Road sitting at just 1.8 stars, it is not a matter of if, but when another tragedy will occur,” he said. “Country people should not be treated as second-

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class citizens when it comes to road safety. “The state government cannot ignore figures like this, one and two-star roads are death traps. “When families in the Ovens Valley get behind the wheel, they deserve to know they are safe. “These ratings are a wakeup call, the government must look at the data and act before more lives are lost on our roads.” ■ Continued page 6

Visitors start to return

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Cricketers set for season

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