Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will be using a system of prioritisation to determine which roads to fix, admitting they don’t have the funds to address the backlog of maintenance and rehabilitation works to be done.
Extensive rainfall and storms over the past twelve months have resulted in the deterioration of many roads and pathways around Port Macquarie, leaving residents worried a serious accident will be caused by the ever-widening potholes.
Lake Road, Hill Street, Ocean Drive, Park Street and Tuffins Lane are just some of the roads residents have singled out as being in dire need of repair.
Many residents have told the Independent of ‘close calls’ when accidents have only narrowly been avoided and, while some minor ‘quick fix’ works have been undertaken, they say repairs take too long to be completed.
Council administrator Neil Porter said that while road maintenance was a core service of Council, “the backlog of maintenance and rehabilitation works can’t be done within the available budget so it’s important to have an agreed system of prioritisation”.
He said the priority for the inspection and maintenance of roads and transport assets within the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council local government area would be determined on the basis of risk management.
Mr Porter said by adopting the approach, Council had balanced the need to minimise the risk of exposure to public liability with the desire to deliver the best value service to the community.
The new approach was outlined in a report to last week’s Council meeting. The report described the Roads Hierarchy document which categorises all roads throughout the local government area based on traffic volumes, pedestrian movements, proximity to schools and places of public interests as well as bus and transport routes.
The Roads Hierarchy specifically ranks 140 roads in priority order with additional categories for the remaining roads. The top 10 roads in the hierarchy receive the highest priority weighting for maintenance resources.
“When a hazard or request for roadworks is reported, an inspection will be carried out by Council staff and the hazard is given a score across three criteria: where is the issue located; where does the road rank on the Hierarchy; and what is the potential risk to the community of this defect? This score then relates directly to the response time expected of Council staff to address the issue.
“This system means there is a fair service standard throughout the area and while it’s understandable that some people won’t like being told that the issue they reported has been assessed as requiring attention within six months, this system balances how the road is used with the funds and resources available to do the work,” said Mr Porter.
To assist with helping the community to understand this agreed approach to prioritising works, Council is developing a Roads, Maintenance and Repair brochure.
“The brochure will help explain the Roads Hierarchy and works that make up the road maintenance program. It will be available on Council’s website and will be distributed by Customer Service staff in the event of a complaint on a road and promoted through community groups,” clarified Jeffery Sharp, Director of Infrastructure Services.
