Patients left waiting, unfilled potholes: Department report flurry shows missed targets

Repeated government promises of a “crackdown” on real estate underquoting have been shown to be all puff and little action, as fines and monitoring of the illegal practice plunged.

The figures were revealed among more than 250 annual reports that were dumped in parliament on Thursday, an annual tradition in which most reports received by the government from its agencies and departments are tabled in one release.

Here are some of the biggest themes to emerge from the reports.

Underquoting

Consumer Affairs Victoria’s annual report shows the regulator’s underquoting taskforce issued just 48 infringement notices in the last financial year, down from 89 the year before.

The taskforce also reviewed 60 per cent fewer sales campaigns, down to 600 from 1547 the year before.

In contrast, this masthead’s Bidding Blind investigation into underquoting monitored more than 25,000 auction campaigns over a similar period, finding more than half of the properties tracked sold above the top end of the guide.

While a property selling above the top of its advertised range is not proof per se that agents have deliberately misled buyers, the investigation uncovered brazen examples of underquoting. It also showed that, more often than not, Victorian buyers couldn’t rely on the price guides provided by agents.

The regulator says the taskforce has improved co-operation with the property industry, including by talking to agents at auctions. The taskforce attended 92 auctions last year, down from 147 the year before. It’s not unusual for more than 1000 auctions to take place each Saturday in Melbourne.

“[Consumer Affairs Victoria] will continue its priority focus on underquoting in the coming year, with a strong commitment to driving this deceptive practice out of the property market,” the annual report said.

Health

Victoria continues to battle high demand and long waiting times for emergency callouts, Ambulance Victoria’s latest annual report shows.

Just 65.3 per cent of emergency (code 1) incidents were responded to within 15 minutes last financial year. The agency’s target is 85 per cent.

The Victorian Health Department’s annual report was also tabled on Thursday, revealing 72 per cent of emergency department patients were treated within the clinically recommended time frame last financial year. The department’s target is 80 per cent.

The Health Department’s spend of $359,112 on its winter flu vaccine campaign was less than what it spent promoting public fertility. Australia this year faced a record-breaking flu season.

Paying the bills on time

Government agencies and departments struggled to pay their invoices on time.

Victoria’s fair pay policy requires state entities to pay bills within 10 business days for contracts valued below $3 million. But in its 2024-25 annual report on Thursday, the Victorian Small Business Commission said just 81 per cent of those invoices had been paid by deadline.

It means almost one in five, or about 378,382 invoices, were belatedly paid by government entities.

The troubled Museums Victoria managed to pay only 22 per cent of its bills on time, while Victoria Police complied 37 per cent of the time.

State Trustees Limited was also among the worst, paying 24 per cent on time.

Shadow treasurer Jess Wilson said the government should be a model creditor and pay small business suppliers on time.

“When the government can’t pay its bills on time, it’s clear just how dire Victoria’s financial position is,” Wilson said.

Roads

The immense task of repairing Victoria’s tattered road network has continued to overwhelm the state Transport Department.

A total of 200,552 potholes were repaired in the 2024/25 financial year, the Department of Transport and Planning annual report says.

But its road-patching work – which includes repairing potholes and cracking – fell behind schedule, completing only 55 per cent of the area on regional roads it had targeted. The department said it completed smaller patching works to “avoid more significant problems”, along with a focus on longer-lasting treatments and being hit with higher costs.

Only 61 per cent of regional road works were completed within the agreed time frame, compared with a target of 80 per cent, “due to the identification and delivery of additional works”.

Opposition roads spokesman Danny O’Brien said the road network was deteriorating faster than the government could maintain it.

Roads Minister Melissa Horne told parliament Labor was spending nearly $1 billion on the road network this year.

The department met its target for road resurfacing, rehabilitation and maintenance in regional Victoria.

Active transport projects – such as cycling and walking paths – also faced delays. Only three of the eight projects planned were completed because of “complexities with detailed project design and approvals”.

There were with 296 deaths on Victorian roads in 2024/25, an increase of nine from last year.

The rate of road fatalities per 100,000 population increased from 4.29 to 4.46, the report reveals. That is the equal highest rate of fatalities since 2016.

Road injuries fell 11 per cent to 18,426, according to Victoria Police’s annual report.

Museums Victoria

The annual report for Museums Victoria showed that it received almost $14 million extra in funding from the Allan government in April, May and June this year just to remain solvent.

“Museums Victoria received this solvency support to facilitate essential activity and service levels and to ensure the organisation’s ability to trade as a going concern,” the annual report said.

In August, The Age revealed cost-cutting across Museums Victoria’s three venues – the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks – meant 55 full-time jobs would be cut and ticket prices increased.

The annual report also reveals that a flood in November 2024, caused by a burst pipe at the museum’s Merri-bek Coburg collection facility, “affected thousands of collection objects” and cost $2.4 million to clean up.

Law and order

Vacancies across Victoria Police ranks hampered investigations and slowed the force’s ability to solve crimes.

The force was down 150 police officers and suffered a total loss of 383 personnel in the year ending June 30.

It fell short of its clearance goals, dropping 20 per cent below its target for solving crimes against a person within 30 days and 26 per cent below its target for property and deception offences in the same period. Victoria Police attributed these failures to increased crime and a lack of officers.

The force surpassed its $4.5 billion budget by $35 million, which represents a 1 per cent increase.

Meanwhile, prosecution rates improved across the state, with 91.2 per cent of all cases resulting in guilty pleas, an increase from the 89.3 per cent recorded the previous year.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.