General News
14 October, 2025
Residents block main street for two hours in show of support for VicRoads services
Maryborough’s High Street became completely blocked off for two hours on Saturday afternoon, in a staged mass gridlock demonstrating the community’s reliance on Maryborough VicRoads’ full services.
The congestion came after a continuous procession of around 200 vehicles along Maryborough’s main street for the hour long “Anything with Wheels Parade”.
While Central Goldfields Shire Council has declared full services will remain at the Maryborough VicRoads agency, numerous groups are advocating to the State Government to allocate more funding, as opposed to the shire subsiding the service.
The “Anything With Wheels Parade” was led by motorcycles, trucks, tractors, emergency service vehicles and vintage cars, protesting by waving flags, blaring sirens and revving engines as a crowd formed to spectate.
Many vehicles also displayed posters calling for all services to stay at the agency, with most reading “full service only” with another displaying “Please don’t shut VicRoads cars are the only thing I know.”
To end the parade, members staged the blockade along High Street just before 2 pm, and leaving their cars to gather on Nolan Street, with speakers addressing the crowd on impacts throughout the community.
The blockade was organised by David Hendrickson, Sophie Tribe and Carz and Coffee, in an effort to take a stand against potential reduction at the agency.
“We have gathered here today either to keep VicRoads as it is, or go one better, and cut out the shire, and make a VicRoads office solely in Maryborough. First of all we want to keep VicRoads the way it is,” Mr Hendrickson said.
He observed little anti-social behaviour and believes the blockade was met with little impact on businesses.
“The amount of people that came up was incredible. I spoke to most shop keepers, they were all happy,” Mr Hendrickson said.
The event also promoted the petition recently put to State Parliament, calling on the government to reverse the current funding model allocated to Maryborough VicRoads, which has reached just under 1100 signatures online and 1000 on paper.
Another 1000 more paper signatures are needed for the petition to be put to the legislative council.
The blockade ceased at around 3.30 pm, with traffic returning to normal.
