in winter, the roads degenerated and became boggy channels of mud. corduroy tracks were built with small logs laid cross ways along the worst stretches. the hill farmers believed that government investment in a major roads program would be their salvation. the grand ridge road was built by the country roads board in the 1920s joining all the local north-south roads in one long east-west strip but proved little practical use. however, the road was progressively improved in unemployment relief works during the great depression of the 1930s and promoted as a tourist drive. the other hope was the timber industry but melbourne's timber was being adequately supplied from the central highlands until the mid-1950s.