As part of its 'Advocating for a Brighter Tomorrow' federal election advocacy campaign, Campaspe Shire Council is calling on the next Australian Government for funding to reconstruct sections of two critical roads of statewide and national significance – Davis Road, Patho and Two Tree Road, Carag Carag.
Campaspe Shire Council Mayor Cr Daniel Mackrell said good progress had been made in repairing the extensive damage to roads and road infrastructure across the shire caused by the October 2022 floods but more government funding was needed.
'We are most grateful for funding received so far through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding program,' Cr Mackrell said.
'However, as we head into winter, we're urging the incoming federal government to provide urgent funding to repair flood-damaged sections of Davis Road, Patho and Two Tree Road, Carag Carag.
'Both of these narrow, unsealed roads experience significant heavy vehicle traffic daily because they provide direct access to statewide waste facilities used by multiple councils across Victoria.
'Successive floods have compromised the condition and useability of the roads,' he said. 'The flow-on effects have been rising traffic safety concerns, loss of productivity to transport companies and waste facilities, and increased costs from the need to stockpile waste and ongoing road maintenance requirements.
'As these roads service the needs of several councils, and are essential to the achievement of both state and federal waste and resource recovery objectives, it's incumbent upon other levels of government to ensure they are safe and fit-for-purpose.
'That's why Council is seeking $4.3 million for Davis Road, Patho and $5.5 million for Two Tree Road, Carag Carag, to transform them into all-weather, sealed roads so they are safer to use and better able to withstand heavy rain events.'
Fast Facts - Davis Road, Patho
- Davis Road is a narrow (4m wide), unsealed 3.2 km road connecting the Patho Landfill facility to the Murray Valley Highway.
- Approximately 50 heavy vehicles travel each day in each direction along the road. Due to the narrowness and unsealed nature of the road, there has been several near misses with B-double trucks ending up in the swale drains.
- The landfill facility has at least 30 years of life remaining with the potential for future expansion into resource recovery activities.
- The Patho Landfill is the only major landfill facility in the region and receives waste from the wider north-western and northern parts of Victoria.
- The landfill facility was recognised as being of statewide significance in the 2018 Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan.
- When the landfill site cannot be accessed due to flooding, waste must be stockpiled for bulk haulage to other sites at considerable financial and environmental expense due to the distance involved.
Fast Facts – Two Tree Road, Carag Carag
- Two Tree Road is an unsealed, narrow road providing direct access to the Biomix Organics Composting Facility for a significant number of heavy vehicles daily.
- Biomix plays a critical role for the Australian Government to achieve its objective under the kerbside reform program to provide mandatory FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) services across the state by 2030. Biomix currently accepts 100,000 tonnes annually and is anticipated to exceed 250,000 tonnes by 2030.
- The road has been inundated multiple times due to overland flooding. The road was closed for extended periods in 2022 and 2023 cutting off access to the Biomix facility and leading to significant productivity challenges and resource recovery issues.
- Due to local topography, even outside of unprecedented rain and flooding events, there is often standing water on the road, increasing safety risks and decreasing resilience of the road network.
