Shire steps up road inspections in new four-year plan

THE Surf Coast Shire will increase its inspection rate and response times for high-use roads across the region, as part of a new four-year road management plan.

Adopted by the council at its September meeting last week, the plan sets the standard for how the shire’s vast network of roads and footpaths will be inspected and maintained through to 2029.

The level of service outlined for each road, the shire says, takes into account safety, community expectations and technical standards, as well as the financial capacity of the council.

The new plan follows an extensive review of its predecessor and a review into the shire’s unsealed road network, which last year saw it endorsed a plan to increase the rate at which its unsealed roads are graded.

The new road management plan features several changes, including improved inspection and response times for high-use roads, an increase in proactive inspections, and the inspection of roads that were excluded in the previous iteration of the plan.

Councillor Joel Grist said road and footpath maintenance is a fundamental role for the council, with the road management plan one of its key documents.

“The community rightfully has high expectations when it comes to road maintenance, which we aim to meet,” he said.

“Equally, we have to take into account that there are constraints on our finances and resourcing, and that we have a large road network to cover.

“The plan achieves a strong balance between those factors and places higher emphasis on more regular inspection and faster repair of defects on our most frequently used roads.”

All Victorian councils are required to adopt a new road management plan within one year of a council election.

The shire manages more than 600km of sealed roads and 470km of unsealed roads, with 30 per cent also featuring footpaths, kerbs and channels.

Data captured in this year’s local government Community Satisfaction Survey revealed the community’s satisfaction with the condition of roads across the shire had dropped to an all-time low.