As every rural council knows the condition of local roads is a concern for many residents.
A challenge for rural councils is the amount of roads council's own and need to maintain in relation to their smaller population base. The Municipal Association of Victoria developed a simple formula comparing metro and rural councils - on average metros have ten times the amount of ratepayers compared to their country cousins who have ten times the amount of local roads!
An added challenge is that rate-capping allows councils to increase their rates by the amount of the CPI which reflects a bundle of household goods, whereas the cost of road maintenance and engineering is increasing at a far higher rate.
Council undertakes significant strategic planning and assessment to identify roads most in need of maintenance and repair. We regularly communicate our progress on regrading and routine maintenance with the community.
We are introducing new computerised systems to allow us to better track customer work requests.
Together with all other Councils we have undertaken broader asset management planning, which will enable Council to take more informed decisions on its assets. We will also consider our community education and engagement approaches.
A key opportunity for us is population growth. A stronger rate base allows us to fund more services. Our advocacy also includes support for the State to take ownership and maintenance of significant Council owned roads.
Although there is no magic pudding solution, Council is working creatively to achieve the best possible outcomes.
