VICTORIA'S beauty is spoilt by a few hideous landmarks, writes KATE DOWLER

A mock medieval castle, a money-gobbling desalination plant, derelict fuel stations and crumbling rural roads have all been slammed as as some of country Victoria's ugliest landmarks.

A Weekly Times investigation has identified several spots that need more than just a lick of paint to revive them.

Earlier this month Victoria's Planning Minister Matthew Guy hand-picked his top 10 eyesores around metropolitan Melbourne.

Mr Guy had no trouble levelling criticism at Melbourne airport, which he described as a dog's breakfast and one of the city's worst eyesores.

The footbridge to the MCG also made his list of places required a facelift or demolition to improve pride in the city.

Mr Guy said owners of architectural eyesores must place more emphasis on good design and honour Melbourne's character.

The Minister told The Weekly Times he would "love to" pick out his top 10 country eyesores.

But when the time came to make the hard decisions, the task proved too daunting as the Minister and his office failed to come up with the goods.

One country Victorian not afraid to point out a couple of eyesores was Moyne Shire Council mayor Jim Doukas.

Cr Doukas said Mr Guy had "badly let down" people in his shire by having too vague requirements around wind farm permits.

And damage to the region's roads near the 140-turbine Macarthur site was immense, he said.

Another, Swan Hill Rural City Council mayor John Katis, is sick of waiting for more funding for his bridge.

Cr Katis said the amount of money wasted on fixing Swan Hill's bridge was wasteful and "the time has come for it to be fixed properly, instead of Band-Aid solutions; it is just frustrating".

However, Geelong councillor Eddy Kontelj won't have a word said against the Sphinx Hotel, describing it as the jewel in the crown of his ward in North Geelong.

"People come from all over to see the Sphinx and enjoy the facilities," Cr Kontelj said.

"Why travel thousands of kilometres to Las Vegas to see buildings just like this one when we've got one right here in Geelong?"

Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley may be ugly, but according to local deputy mayor Sharon Gibson, beauty took a back seat if a hot shower or cooked meal was at stake.

"I don't think the general population looks at Hazelwood or any other power station for that matter as an eyesore, but the source of their electricity when they turn the switch on," Cr Gibson said.

"I'm sure all those who want clean green power would still be the first to complain if they hit the switch and the light doesn't come on."

Municipal Association of Victoria chairman Bill McArthur also pointed out bad roads as country Victoria's eyesore.