With recent rain and flooding affecting its road maintenance programs, Rockhampton Regional Council has commenced an extensive program of road inspections.
Covering almost 18,400 square kilometres on the east coast of Queensland, Council is responsible for around 2,500 kilometres of local bitumen and gravel roads.
For the past few weeks, Chair of Council’s Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Stephen Schwarten, and General Manager Infrastructure Services, Evan Pardon, have been visiting the entire region to identify sections of the road network that need to be improved and included for consideration in the next budget.
Councillor Schwarten said Council is working on a renewal plan for all the roads, pathways and stormwater assets in the region, and is in the final stages of collating data about the road and infrastructure assets.
“We have just commenced an extensive program of inspection, from visual through to laser profiling, to obtain a condition assessment so that we can determine future expenditure required,” he said.
“With the recent rain and flooding, a number of maintenance issues have developed and it is likely that this will place Council crews three to four weeks behind Council’s capital and maintenance programs.
“Council is still carrying out repairs needed from last year’s flooding.
“This damage to the road network by wet weather is placing strain on the maintenance budget and there will be the need to bring forward capital works in the coming years.”
Councillor Schwarten said there had been a noticeable decline in the road standard, and in places it was no longer acceptable.
“Council recognises that within some of the established areas there is deficient or inadequate infrastructure, particularly with stormwater,” he said.
“We will be developing a longterm plan to address this.”
