City commits to pothole repair

THE City of Greater Geelong says it has repaired thousands of potholes across the region and is committed to repairing roads and preventing further damage and costly repairs.

The city maintains more than 2,000km of sealed streets and more than 300km of unsealed roads around the region.

During the 2023-2024 financial year, the city repaired 5,814 potholes, repairing all potholes found by inspectors or reported by the community.

Of those repairs, 36 per cent were a result of customer requests for service and 64 per cent were identified by proactive inspections.

Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said the city was committed to proactively identifying and repairing potholes.

“We encourage residents to report potholes and road issues so we can address it as soon as possible.”

The city follows a Road Management Plan where rural and sealed roads come under different sections and categories, determining the timeline for repairs.

Several factors are taken into consideration when categorising a repair including the type of road and nature of the fault, determining the target response time.

On average sealed roads were repaired within the target response time 85 per cent of the time, 88 per cent for unsealed roads.

Deputy mayor Anthony Aitken said the pothole management program ensured a smoother and safer commute for residents.

“We value the feedback from our community and use it to continuously improve out pothole management program so that it meets the needs and expectations of our residents.”

Rain contributes heavily to road defects, getting into the road through a small crack in the asphalt, weakening and shifting the foundation.

Traffic on wet roads increases the amount of water making its way into cracks, creating potholes.

As part of the city’s road management program, sustainable materials and practices are used, recycling about 12,500 tonnes of waste asphalt, transforming it into road base for future use.

VicRoads, Regional Roads Victoria and the City of Greater Geelong manage roads through the region.

For more information or to report a road issue, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/roads