A new report has called for an urgent need to invest more in road infrastructure throughout regional Victoria, claiming inadequate investment is hampering the freight transport supply chain.
Infrastructure Australia's Regional Strengths and Infrastructure Gaps report also highlighted road networks in some regions were not designed to support larger freight traffic.
Freight servicing the Loddon Mallee region was struggling to meet demand, according to the report.
In Gippsland the expansion of the national freight task in the region over the coming decade was expected to place additional strain on the region's road network.
"Freight network inefficiencies are constraining the growth potential of Gippsland producers," the report said.
Shadow Roads Minister Steph Ryan said the report was a blueprint for better connecting communities across the state.
"In regions like the Loddon Mallee, economic growth and agricultural productivity is being held back because the Labor government has badly botched freight rail upgrades," Ms Ryan said.
"The Murray Basin Rail Project should have been completed years ago and taken thousands of truck movements off our roads each year."
Benalla city councillor Peter Davis said he had farmers approach him on a daily basis asking about local roads.
He said gravel and unsealed road conditions were a perpetual problem.
"We can't get anywhere near on top of it, no matter how many millions of dollars we throw at it," Mr Davis, who also runs a rural supply shop in the region, said.
"Our rates base in Benalla only covers us to put the light on and turn the wheels over.
"That's all we can do as a council."
He said road drainage remained an issue through his region and more money from state governments focusing on continual grading would be beneficial to agricultural transport.
"We need culverts, pipes, bridges and so forth to be able to direct water off these roads, and they needs gutters as well," he said.
"Gravel road infrastructure is where we are falling really behind on right now, and it would be good to see the government throw a few million dollars at it and keep them reliable for freight."
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He said road surfaces in his local region were not appropriate for those who had to transport hay, fodder or canola to Geelong for when it needed to be shipped offshore.
"If it rains, these roads simply go to toast," he said.
"There's a federal election on soon, and I would really urge voters to think about road infrastructure which is one of three important issues to me, along with health and education.
"Road infrastructure may not be sexy but it has so many flow-on effects to the wider society, and we need our public to really think about it."
A government spokesperson said there was unprecedented infrastructure investment.
"(There are) billions of dollars invested in maintaining and upgrading our regional road and rail freight and passenger networks," the spokesperson said.
"Only the Andrews Labor Government has been able to deliver an unprecedented program of road upgrades and maintenance to ensure thousands of kilometres of Victorian roads are safer and more reliable."
"We're transforming Victoria's freight network to make it safer, increase productivity and competitiveness whilst supporting Victoria's economic recovery and future growth."
The spokesperson also said many projects were underway throughout many regional areas, including replacing the Girgarre-Rushworth Road bridge over the Waranga Western Channel to improve reliability, with works planned to be completed in 2023.
They also noted upgrades to freight corridors in the Gippsland region, including planned upgrades to the South Gippsland Highway and Princes Highway East.
